Question:
How does your stoma get stretched?

Can you stretch your stoma and make it bigger or is a large stoma just something that happens? I don't understand how a surgeon could make it too large, shouldn't it be the same diameter as your intestine being attached? Also why can't anything be done to fix a stoma that is too large?    — Sarahlicious (posted on August 27, 2003)

August 27, 2003
according to my surgeon, the stoma should be made the size of an m&m . they say the way to stretch a stoma is consistant over eating, not chewing adequately, and drinking with meals.
   — **willow**

August 27, 2003
Your stoma can also be stretched from the EGD if your stoma is too small. Sometimes surgeons open to much which hopefully won't defeat the purpose of surgery.
   — Starrlina

August 27, 2003
My doc didn't made my stoma wider than normal because he didn't want his patients to have problems keeping things down. I didn't find this out until I got to goal. I have never thrown up so I guess it's good for something...lol. Meanwhile, I can eat fast, and can eat without really doing a lot of chewing. So I have to watch it. But I'm still at goal and had surgery in June of 2001. Good luck and God bless!
   — Kimberly L.

August 27, 2003
I had a stricture and my stoma was overly stretched during the endoscopy. I've still been successful losing weight, but I have to be careful about the texture of the food I eat so that I will stay full. Things like cottage cheese and yoghurt do nothing for me as they go right through my pouch, but ground beef, scrambled eggs and chicken will hang around awhile so that I can stay full for a bit. I can eat alot, so I stick to dense protein foods (which I don't have to chew well either!).
   — mom2jtx3

August 27, 2003
Not every surgeon is a good surgeon and some have made the stomas too large from the start and food passes right thru the pouch into the stoma, so that these poor people never know what it is like to feel full. From eveything I have read it is next to impossible to correct-some surgeons can attach rings to try to help but those often slip, and in one case I have read, the surgeon attached the stoma in a place on the pouch that did not leave enough room for any corrections. There are also discussions among long term posties that say that the stoma is known to eventually "relax" over time. I assume that means in some cases, it stretchs, perhaps from overeating or perhaps it just naturally happens. Haven't seen any official studies though...
   — Cindy R.