It is estimated that 13,500 people have stoma surgery each year, which means around 1 in every 500 people have a stoma in the UK.¹ Due to this high number of people, nurses in different clinical settings will see patients with a stoma. Therefore it is vital to develop a basic understanding of stoma care.
 

Many people with a stoma think that sore skin around the stoma area is an inevitable complication that they cannot avoid. Education is vital to ensure patients are aware that this is not the case. The skin around the stoma should look and feel the same as the rest of the abdomen. If a stoma is not appropriately managed, and complications such as skin damage occur, it can lead to a diminished quality of life.²