Urostomy: Caring for Your Stoma

Checking the stoma

• Check your stoma and the skin around it each time you change your pouch.

• Stand in front of a mirror or use a hand mirror so that you can see the entire stoma.

• Your stoma should stick out slightly from your skin. It's normal to see a little mucus.

• The stoma should look shiny, moist, and pink or red.

• The skin around it should be smooth, with no red or open areas.

Cleaning the stoma

When you change your pouch, clean the stoma and the skin around it. Do this using warm water and a soft washcloth. Water doesn't harm the stoma.

• Clean and dry the stoma gently. Because the stoma has no sensory nerves, you could injure it without feeling any pain. You won't feel if it is cut or scraped. But you will see a yellow or white line on the stoma if it is scraped.

• The stoma may bleed a little when you clean it. That’s because it has tiny blood vessels. To stop the bleeding quickly, apply gentle pressure to the stoma using a clean, dry cloth or tissue.

• Be aware that urine will keep flowing out as you clean your stoma. You can use a folded paper towel or piece of gauze to absorb the urine.

Protect the skin around the stoma

For the pouch to stick well, the skin around it needs to be dry and smooth. If the skin is moist or uneven, the pouch is more likely to leak. And any urine that leaks out of the pouch can pool on your skin. This can irritate the skin. Urine that leaks from the pouch can also cause odor or be absorbed by your clothes. You can help prevent these problems by following these steps:

• Use a urostomy bag or pouch with the correct size opening, so urine doesn't leak.

• Wash your hands correctly before you change your pouch. Change the pouch regularly to prevent leaks and skin irritation.

• Remove the skin barrier gently by pushing your skin away from the sticky barrier rather than pulling the barrier from the skin.

• Be sure your skin is dry before you apply the skin barrier. This helps keep the skin healthy. Always pat your skin dry after you wash it. Or try drying your skin with a hair dryer that’s set on cool.

• Try applying a skin barrier wipe before you put on a new pouch. This helps protect the skin if urine leaks around the pouch. A skin barrier wipe may shorten or lengthen the amount of time you can wear some pouches. Before using a wipe, check the product information that came with your pouch.

  • Don't use skin care products that contain alcohol. They can make your skin too dry.

  • Don't use baby wipes, oils, and lotions on the skin around your stoma. These can make it hard to attach the pouch to your skin.

• If you have hair on your skin around your stoma, removing it may help the pouch to stay more securely in place.

  • To remove the hair, use trimming scissors or an electric shaver, or have laser treatment.

  • Don't use a straight-edge or safety razor.

  • Be very careful while you are removing hair around your stoma.

• Always look for any signs of allergies to the adhesive, skin barrier, paste, tape, or pouch material. They may take weeks or months to develop as your skin gets gradually sensitized to them.

When to get medical advice

Contact your wound ostomy and continence nurse or other health care provider right away if:

• The skin around the stoma is red, weepy, or bleeding, or has open areas.

• The skin around the stoma itches, burns, stings, or has white spots.

• The stoma swells, changes color, or bleeds without stopping.

• The stoma sinks below its normal level or below the skin.

• The stoma sticks up above the skin more than normal.