This happened to me. It is called stoma stenosis. I wear a pacifier taped to my stoma with the nipple inside the opening. They also make things called stoma plugs- Vanessavy knows about where to get those. I used a baby pacificer that is completely made of silicone (soft and pliable) with a straight nipple because there is no risk of it being sucked all the way into the stoma. You don't want to put any old thing in the stoma because you could lose it inside of your pouch. I use the pacifier every night with a nursing pad taped over it to catch the mucous. The pacifier (playtex, I think) is just bigger than the tube 30french that I intubate with. It keep the stoma nice and open. I know that you can go to the doctor's and have them cauterize the opening with silver nitrate or they will do a z plasty which is a z shape incision in the stoma to stretch the opening. I saved my self the pain of this by just using the pacifier. Hope that helps some. My stoma had gotten so tight that it was painful to put the tube in for emptying.

Rosie

I agree with Rosie that prevention is better than the fix...I had a sunk stoma and it closed over repeatedly...it was amazing the speed with which it would heal over and close up...I had to cut it open daily to get the tube in...used a modified pacifier for a while but in may case, being that the stoma had sunk it wasn't enough...the z plasty is not perfect nor much fun to be perfectly honest so if you can avoid it...do.
I have silver nitrate sticks that I usually use to cauterize any granulation that closes over the stoma now and it maintains it open that way...
Sharon

Yes this guy makes the plugs. his wife got a BCIR and he started to make them and they go in our kits. They are handy. He makes a 30 french size and a smaller one in case your stoma is shrunk more, for emergencies. I carry one in my kit. I usually tape a pad over it and keep it in over night if I think I need it in but haven't used it in maybe 6 months now.

Wayne Jacks

MWJacks@aol.com

For the binkies/Stoma plugs

Thanks you, but my problem is not the stoma being too small, it is fine. My problem is that the actual opening to my pouch that the catheter goes through after getting past the valve was too small. That is why I could not intubate for four months and I had to have a tube in all the time. For me, they finally dialated the opening and it works fine for now, they just do not know for how long before it gets too small again.