I have a temp ileo right now. It's about a month old--I can still see the stitches holding it in place when I change the barrier. What I'm wondering is whether, if you've got a stoma for the long term, the stoma heals to the skin? Or do the two types of tissue (skin and intestine) not really want to go together that way?

I'm curious in general, but also because I'm wondering how much new cutting the surgeon is going to have to do for the eventual takedown (fingers crossed--57 days from now!). Are they separating skin from small bowel at that point, or just cutting the stitches that held the stoma in place?

Hmmm.

Hi Charlotte,

Yes the skin does bond to the stoma whether it's perminent or temporary. Yours will too before your takedown. Your stitches are dissolvable and will have gone by the time you have your next surgery. Your surgeon will need to separate the stoma from your skin during takedown but as that part of your intesine is going to get sewn back together again it won't really matter if he has to cut some of the ileum away.

Hope this clears things up a little for you. Good luck with your upcoming takedown surgery.

Take care.

Shell