Can you have a plastics closure for ostomy takedown?

The ostomy wound is circular. There is no way to make a circular wound heal like a straight cut wound. I know a lady later had plastic surgery.

Mine wasn't left open. Some aren't. Is it for sure yours will be?

My stoma site was sutured closed and healed beautifully but all surgeons are different when it comes to the method they use. Have you asked your surgeon how he/she does it?

Mine was left open, and it has healed nicely. It's fairly flat; not really circular but more oblong. Many surgeons choose to leave the wound open because with suturing, there is supposedly more of a chance of an uneven scar with "dog-earring." However, depending on the skill and preference of the surgeon, you could have a very nice closed wound.

Sorry to post and run guys. I don't know yet which my surgeon intends to do, I was just curious if anyone had had any kind of 'fancy' closure on their ostomy wound because I'm feeling vain Some I've seen on the internet look like true craters while others end up looking just like a slightly wider incision scar. I guess it's luck of the draw.

I had a kind of "fancy" closure. I will try to explain it.

From what I understand, they sutured under the skin all the "inside" stuff. They then tighten the skin somehow and left a small flat circular open area. I won't even call it a hole because it wasn't. It was just enough for a bit of drainage. Nurses were very impressed at the hospital. Most hadn't seen it done this way before.

Now that it has healed over, the scar keeps getting smaller and smaller. At 6.5 week post take down, the scar is about 1/2 diameter (circular).

I have no idea what the procedure is called unfortunately, but I am very pleased.

Edited to add - during the recovery, I did end up with a superficial infection on the site. I imagine the scar would be almost gone if I hadn't had to contend with that.

Mom2panda's closure sounds to me like a "subcuticular" method. It's very cool, but suggesting it to a surgeon who doesn't know how to do it won't establish very good rapport.

Yes, Scott I think you are correct. Subcuticular purse string looks right based on what I found in Google images. Thanks for giving it a name!

Here is a link that show the images for befoer and after.This is definitely what I had done.http://openi.nlm.nih.gov/detai...ksc-27-58-g002&req=4

My ostomy closure was stitched inside and glued and steri stripped on the outside. Perfect straight line and actually, 10 years later, I have to really look to find it

Wow, mom2panda, that is beautiful! You're lucky your surgeon is so cutting edge

Scott I agree there probably isnt a tactful way to bring it up... I will just ask how he does the closure and hope for the best I guess.

It's perfectly appropriate to say (to the surgeon) that you're very concerned about the post-op appearance of the wound, and to ask what options there are to minimize the prominence of the scar. Once you start suggesting specific surgical techniques the tone of the conversation could take a turn for the worse, though turning it into a question could keep it comfortable. I might ask something like "is there anything you can do during the closure to minimize scarring?"