a new thing for me
gas is bubbling from my stoma, sometimes not so quietly

How often does the gas come out from the stoma? As you know, it shouldn't do this. You might put a foley cath in and leave it in for a week or so. Maybe you have a little kink in the valve...

I wish you the best and hope this is just a one-time thing!

Call and inform you doctor immediately!
Generally speaking it means that there is somthing not right with the valve...better to fix something very small than wait til it gets big!
Sharon
P.S. Look out for leakage

I just had the pouch and all scoped in October and all looked great which is why I am surprised.

I am keeping an eye out for leakage.
Yes, I know this is not supposed to happen. It has happened enough. Think I'll start writing it down.

chris mentioned recently that since his last surgery in nov that gas comes out of his stoma. I think i will call the dr today to find out if this is an issue to be dealt with.
call me later and i will let you know what he said.

Good idea to keep a journal. also, did you eat anything with suspiciously thick or long fibers that may be caught in the stoma and be acting as a sort of conduit that does not allow the valve to completely close itself?
While wearing the wire it happened occasionally and Dr. C told me that it was escaping around the wire....Try flushing the valve with water directly ( and very, very gently) and see if it stops.
How much and how often does it come out? A good test is to fill up your bathtub with water, inject some air into your pouch and then go sit in your bath and see if bubbles start to come out. Count to see if only some or all of the air is being released. That will give you a good indicator to communicate to your doctor or your IT nurse.
Hang in there
Sharon

This happens to me every now and then. I have noticed that in my case it usually occurs when I have not slept that much and am really exhausted.

Chris said it happens when he eats certain foods like vegetables.

For the first couple of decades after my original K-pouch, that never happened. But then, up until my revised valve was done, that had started happening to me occasionally for several years until eventually (after a couple of years) there would be small amounts of leakage with it; after which I had my valve revised by Dr. Fazio a few years ago and since then it has never happened again. I'm not sure if the first incidences of gas leakage were a sign of the very beginning of valve slippage, or not; or if even so, if it always gets worse or not. But you definitely should get it checked out, just in case.

A small amount of gas could be trapped in the space between the outside of the stoma and the valve. Once that gas clears there shouldn't be any more leakage.
After intubating, try inserting your catheter just a short way into the stoma to clear any trapped gas.
best,
Bill

Leslie,
What Bill is suggesting seems to make sense. I hope it is just that. Since Fazio did your K-pouch recently, it seems so unlikely that anything would be wrong, and especially since your recent exam showed everything to be great. Please let us know if Bill's suggestion works!

I'm going with what Bill says. I like that theory the best That's what happened with the pills (remember those?)

I have to take all the exercise equipment out of the tub for Sharon's experiment.

Chris is having the gas plus some stool leakage. Dr Shore says it is caused by something getting in the way of the valve, gas, food, etc. Suggested eating activia!

lesrich1, how long after you intubate do you get gas coming out?

I have been a gas leaker from day one - maybe it's my technique so I will experiment with Bill's idea of valve clearing. I have often thought that because I am a major vegetable eater that I might have something caught in the passageway.

The reason I ask about the timing is I don't start leaking gas until about 6 to 8 hours after I have intubated. I also leak but usually not until 10 to 12 hours after. Leaking for me means a half dollar sized "puck" of stool stuck to the inside of the covering (poise pad cut in thirds).

Yea I could get the valve revised and maybe someday I will but its not getting any worse after 2+ years. Now before I get jumped here I have weighed the risks and stress of surgery and anesthesia and needle sticks and pain and downtime against what I consider a minor and mostly manageable inconvience. In fact I find being able to release some gas is a benefit (provided its not in close quarters ) as it releases pressure and is maybe why I can regularly go from 6am to 9pm without having to intubate.

Regards

Peter, I'm not sure and I may be totally wrong about this, but I think that it may not be good to let the pressure build up too much because it might increase the chances of, or worsen, slippage of the valve. I used to do similar to you and actually thought about it the same way as you have expressed, but after a few years I do think that the slight leakage was very slowly and very gradually getting worse and that the slow gradual worsening was contributed to by my letting the pressure build up by going so long between intubations (while thinking that it was good that a little pressure was relieved when some gas was released and that it was maybe a benefit that it would naturally release some). Eventually I had my valve revised (a few years ago) not so much because I couldn't live with the slight occasional leakage, but because I was worried that if I waited too long and would eventually need a revision, the most experienced and best K-pouch surgeons would no longer be around (because they are all getting up there in age). Anyway, my too long-winded point is that now I try to intubate whenever I am starting to feel any significant fullness or pressure, out of an abundance of caution in hopes of preserving the valve so that it remains as perfect as possible. But I may be totally wrong in all of my assumptions......