How to Care for Ileostomy

An ostomy is a surgical opening made in the abdominal area of the body for the removal of feces or urine. One type of ostomies is the ileostomy--an opening made between the small intestine and the abdomen to allow the removal of feces. It may be permanent or temporary. Contact between the skin and the feces can cause skin breakdown, due to the digestive enzymes. The person with an ileostomy has no control over when feces are evacuated from the body, so an ileostomy system includes a pouch that is sealed to the skin around the ileostomy that has to be worn at all times to collect the feces.

Things You'll Need

• Wipes
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Ostomy deodorizer
• Waterproof tape

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Empty your ileostomy pouch when it is one-third full of gas, feces or fluid. This prevents pressure from building up around the sealed portion of the ileostomy and possible leakage.

• 2

  Rinse out your pouch after emptying it by squirting some water into it. Wipe the opening of the pouch inside and out with wipes.You may spray nonstick cooking spray into your pouch to prevent stool from sticking to your pouch and add ostomy deodorizers into it.

• 3

  Change your entire ileostomy system every five to seven days. Perform the change in the morning before eating or drinking anything. This reduces the risk of having any drainage while changing the pouch. Change your entire system if leakage occurs.

• 4

  Inspect the skin around and under your ileostomy for breakdown. Prevent injury to your skin by gently pulling away the old pouch system from your skin before applying the new one. Avoid contact between your skin and the ileostomy drainage to prevent skin injury.

• 5

  Take a shower with your ostomy off on days when you plan to put on a new ostomy system. If you wish to take a shower with your ostomy on, place waterproof tape around the sealed area of the ostomy. This prevents leakage into the ostomy system.

• 6

  Resume a normal exercise regime after full recovery from your ileostomy surgery. Be aware that your ileostomy system may need to be changed often if you sweat profusely during exercise. This is due to melting of the sealant system used to secure the ostomy system.