Symptom load and individual symptoms before and after repair of parastomal hernia: a prospective single centre study

Nursing Interventions for the Management of a Stoma Complicated by a Parastomal Hernia or Bulge: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Parastomal hernia or bulging is a long-recognised complication in relation to a stoma. Around half of patients develop a parastomal bulge and up to 75% experience symptoms. Only a minority is offered surgical treatment; thus, most patients manage the bulge on their own or by interventions provided by stoma care nurses.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To identify and present the available information on nursing interventions for the management of symptoms caused by the parastomal bulge.

METHODS

This scoping review followed the framework by the Joanna Briggs Institute, conducting searches in 11 databases and through stoma organisations. Literature on nursing management of parastomal bulges was included. Two authors independently screened and selected the studies, with data-charting performed by one author and verified by another. The PAGER framework depicted the state of the evidence and the PRISMA-ScR checklist guided the process.

RESULTS

Of 8361 screened publications, 44 were included. Management of the parastomal bulge and related symptoms were described in eight nursing interventions: appliances, support garments, irrigation and regulation of stool, strangulation, disguise and intimacy, physical activity, support and education, record keeping, follow-up and referral. Most evidence was based on expert opinion with only ⅓ of papers using study designs, such as cross-sectional, qualitative, review, before and after study, Delphi and RCT.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review highlights the complexity of providing nursing interventions for parastomal bulging. It shows that one intervention can manage multiple symptoms and potentially several symptoms simultaneously, whereas several interventions may be needed to address a single symptom. Therefore, decisions on interventions must be based on the underlying cause of the problem. Due to the limited number of studies on the effects of nursing interventions, more rigorous research is needed in the future.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The results can be used as an inspirational guide for clinical practice.

Impact of parastomal hernia on colostomy costs at 1 year: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial (STOMAMESH)

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Parastomal hernia (PSH) is a common complication after the creation of a colostomy, with a prevalence of approximately 50%. Despite the high frequency, little is known how PSH affects the cost of colostomy care.The hypothesis in this study was that PSH increases the cost of colostomy care compared with not having a PSH.

METHODS

Two groups with (N = 61) and without (n = 147) PSH were compared regarding costs of stoma appliances and visits. The population from a large randomized trial comparing construction of colostomy with or without prophylactic mesh (STOMAMESH) was used and cross-matched with health economic data from the National Pharmaceutical Register, 1 year after initial surgery.

RESULTS

Patients with and without a PSH were similar in basic demographic data. No difference in cost of stoma appliances (with PSH 2668.3 EUR versus no PSH 2724.5 EUR, p = 0.938) or number of visits to a stoma therapist (p = 0.987) was seen, regardless of the presence or not of a PSH.

CONCLUSIONS

PSH appears not to affect costs due to colostomy appliances or the need to visit a stoma therapist, in the first year. The lesson to be learnt is that PSHs are not a driver for costs. Other factors may be determinants of the cost of a colostomy, including manufacturers' price and persuasion, means of procurement, and presence of guidelines.

PROPHER Study Collaborating Group. The PROPHER study: patient-reported outcomes after parastomal hernia treatment-a prospective international cohort study

AIM

A significant proportion of stoma patients develop a parastomal hernia (PSH), with reported rates varying widely from 5% to 50% due to heterogeneity in the definition and mode of diagnosis. PSHs are symptomatic in 75% of these patients, causing a significant impact on quality of life due to issues with appliance fitting, leakage, skin excoriation and pain. They can also lead to emergency presentations with strangulation and obstruction. Evidence is lacking on how to select patients for surgical intervention or conservative treatment. In those who do undergo surgery, the best operation for a particular patient or PSH is not always clear and many options exist. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of an individual patient's PSH treatment on their subsequent self-reported outcomes including treatment success and quality of life.

METHODS

This is a prospective international cohort study of PSH treatment, including both operative and non-operative interventions. A global network of clinicians and specialist nurses will recruit 1000-1500 patients and centralize detailed information, their individual background and their PSH treatment, as well as short-term outcomes up to 30 days. Patients will then provide their own outcomes data including quality of life and whether their treatment was successful, via a secure online system, at 3, 6 and 12 months. PROPHER will be run in two phases: an internal pilot phase of at least 10 hospitals from up to five countries, and a main phase of up to 200 hospitals from across the European Society of Coloproctology network.

DISCUSSION

This study will provide a wealth of contemporaneous information which will improve our ability to counsel patients and facilitate improved selection of appropriate and personalized interventions for those with a PSH.

Patients' experiences of living with a stoma in rural areas in Northern Sweden

Introduction: Stoma complications are common and interfere with many aspects of everyday life. Stoma problems are usually managed by a specialised stoma nurse, a service not present in the rural areas of South Lapland in Sweden. The aim of this study was to describe how stoma patients in rural areas experience living with a stoma.Methods: A qualitative descriptive study with semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 stoma patients living in rural municipalities and who received a part of their care at the local cottage hospital. Qualitative content analysis was employed.Results: Initially, the stoma was experienced as very depressing. Participants had difficulties in properly managing the dressing. Over time they learned how to properly care for their stoma, making their life easier. Both satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the healthcare were experienced. Those who were dissatisfied expressed a lack of competence in dealing with stoma-related problems.Conclusions: Living with a stoma in a rural area in northern Sweden is experienced as a learning process and acceptance of the stoma's existence is important. This study emphasises the need for increased knowledge of stoma-related problems in rural primary healthcare in order to help patients cope with everyday life.

Case of laparoscopic parastomal hernia repair using modified Sugarbaker mesh method

A 75-year-old woman underwent sigmoid colon resection and transverse colostomy for perforation of the diverticulum of the sigmoid colon at 70 years of age at another hospital. She was referred to our hospital with complaints of abdominal discomfort 3 months prior to presentation. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a parastomal hernia (PSH). We performed laparoscopic repair using the Sugarbaker approach with a Symbotex Composite Mesh™ and laparoscopic adhesive intestinal repair. The patient’s post-operative course was unremarkable, and she was transferred to the Department of Internal Medicine after 10 days. There was no recurrence 6 months after surgery. Tension-free surgery using a mesh has been reported to be effective in preventing the recurrence of PSH. We performed a laparoscopic modified Sugarbaker mesh method using the Symbotex Composite Mesh™ with collagen film to repair an abdominal hernia.

Parastomal Hernia: A Retrospective Nationwide Cohort Study Comparing Different Techniques with Long-Term Follow-Up

BACKGROUND

Parastomal hernia repair is a complex surgical procedure with high recurrence and complication rates. This retrospective nationwide cohort study presents the results of different parastomal hernia repair techniques in Finland.

METHODS

All patients who underwent a primary end ostomy parastomal hernia repair in the nine participating hospitals during 2007-2017 were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was recurrence rate. Secondary outcomes were complications and re-operation rate.

RESULTS

In total, 235 primary elective parastomal hernia repairs were performed in five university hospitals and four central hospitals in Finland during 2007-2017. The major techniques used were the Sugarbaker (38.8%), keyhole (16.3%), and sandwich techniques (15.4%). In addition, a specific intra-abdominal keyhole technique with a funnel-shaped mesh was utilized in 8.3% of the techniques; other parastomal hernia repair techniques were used in 21.3% of the cases. The median follow-up time was 39.0 months (0-146, SD 35.3). The recurrence rates after the keyhole, Sugarbaker, sandwich, specific funnel-shaped mesh, and other techniques were 35.9%, 21.5%, 13.5%, 15%, and 35.3%, respectively. The overall re-operation rate was 20.4%, while complications occurred in 26.3% of patients.

CONCLUSION

The recurrence rate after parastomal hernia repair is unacceptable in this nationwide cohort study. As PSH repair volumes are low, further multinational, randomized controlled trials and hernia registry data are needed to improve the results.

Surgical repair of parastomal bulging: a retrospective register-based study on prospectively collected data

AIM

The aim of this work was to examine (1) the incidence of primary repair, (2) the incidence of recurrent repair and (3) the types of repair performed in patients with parastomal bulging.

METHOD

Prospectively collected data on parastomal bulging from the Danish Stoma Database were linked to surgical data on repair of parastomal bulging from the Danish National Patient Register. Survival statistics provided cumulative incidences and time until primary and recurrent repair.

RESULTS

In the study sample of 1016 patients with a permanent stoma and a parastomal bulge, 180 (18%) underwent surgical repair. The cumulative incidence of a primary repair was 9% [95% CI (8%; 11%)] within 1 year and 19% [95% CI (17%; 22%)] within 5 years after the occurrence of a parastomal bulge. We found a similar probability of undergoing primary repair in patients with ileostomy and colostomy. For recurrent repair, the 5-year cumulative incidence was 5% [95% CI (3%; 7%)]. In patients undergoing repair, the probability was 33% [95% CI (21%; 46%)] of having a recurrence requiring repair within 5 years. The main primary repair was open or laparoscopic repair with mesh (43%) followed by stoma revision (39%). Stoma revision and repair with mesh could precede or follow one another as primary and recurrent repair. Stoma reversal was performed in 17% of patients.

CONCLUSION

Five years after the occurrence of a parastomal bulge the estimated probability of undergoing a repair was 19%. Having undergone a primary repair, the probability of recurrent repair was high. Stoma reversal was more common than expected.

Impact of a Parastomal Bulge on Quality of Life - A Cross-sectional Study of Patients From the Danish Stoma Database

OBJECTIVE

To investigate stoma specific and generic HRQoL in patients with and without a parastomal bulge.

BACKGROUND

Most patients have to live with their stoma complicated by a parastomal bulge. How this affects quality of life remains unclear.

METHODS

Patients in the Danish Stoma Database completed the Short-form 36 health survey and the stoma-QOL questionnaire. Linear regression analysis, adjusted for potential confounding factors, provided mean and mean score differences and 95% confidence intervals for each HRQoL scale and item. Cohens d provided estimates of effect size.

RESULTS

A total of 1265 patients (65%) completed the questionnaire 4.4 (interquartile range 3.1-6.0) years after stoma surgery. Of these, 693 (55%) patients with a parastomal bulge had significantly impaired (P < 0.01) HRQoL across all stoma specific and generic health domains compared to patients without a parastomal bulge. In patients with a benign diagnosis or an ileostomy, a parastomal bulge impacted significantly on Social Functioning and Mental Health resulting in a worse Mental Component Summary. A large bulge >10 cm impaired HRQoL (P < 0.01) across all stoma specific and generic domains. The impact on HRQoL was independent of time with the bulge.

CONCLUSIONS

A novel finding in this large, unselected sample from high-quality regional registries was that parastomal bulging was associated with substantial and sustained impairment of HRQoL.

Quality of life after end colostomy without mesh and with prophylactic synthetic mesh in sublay position: one-year results of the STOMAMESH trial

PURPOSE

To determine whether prophylactic mesh in a sublay position has an impact on the quality-of-life (QoL) of patients receiving an end colostomy.

METHODS

One-year follow-up of patients from the STOMAMESH trial, a randomized controlled double-blinded multicenter study. Patients were randomized to either prophylactic synthetic mesh with a cruciform incision in the center, placed in sublay position, or no prophylactic mesh. Patients attended a 1-year visit and responded to the questionnaires EORTC QLQ C-30 and CR-38. The impact of having a mesh on QoL was determined by comparing a group of patients receiving a mesh with a group without. A subgroup analysis was made depending on whether a PSH was clinically present or not.

RESULTS

Of the 232 randomized patients, 211 patients reached the 1-year clinical follow-up. The response rate of these 211 patients was 70%. No differences were seen in global QoL between the groups. Mesh patients reported significantly less stoma-related problems (p = 0.014) but more sexual problems in males (p = 0.022). When excluding patients with a clinical diagnosis of PSH, the difference in stoma-related problems remained while no significant difference was seen regarding sexual problems in males.

CONCLUSIONS

When forming an end colostomy, prophylactic synthetic mesh in a sublay position did not affect global QoL at 1-year follow-up, but stoma-related problems were fewer even in the presence of a clinically diagnosed PSH.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT00917995.

Long distance to hospital is not a risk factor for non-reversal of a defunctioning stoma

PURPOSE

To see if road distance to hospital influences stoma reversal rate, time from index operation to stoma reversal, and occurrence of permanent stoma.

METHODS

Data from all diagnosed cases of rectal cancer from three counties in northern Sweden were extracted from the Swedish Rectal Cancer Registry. The three counties are sparsely populated, with a population density roughly one fifth the average density in Sweden. Distances to nearest, operating, and largest hospital were obtained using Google Maps™. Matched data on socioeconomic variables were retrieved from Statistics Sweden.

RESULTS

In univariate logistic regression analysis, patients living closer to the operating hospital had a higher likelihood of non-reversal than those living farther away (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.12-0.76). However, no difference was seen in the multivariate analysis. Of the 717 cases included, 54% received a permanent stoma and 38% a defunctioning stoma at index surgery. The reversal rate of a defunctioning stoma was 83%. At follow-up, 61% still had a stoma, 89% of these were permanent, and 11% non-reversed defunctioning stomas. Median time to stoma reversal was 287 days (82-1557 days). Of all 227 stoma reversals, 77% were done more than 6 months after index surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Longer distance to hospital is not a risk factor for non-reversal of a defunctioning stoma. Only 23% had their defunctioning stoma reversed within 6 months after index surgery. Future studies aiming to determine reversal rate need to extend their follow-up time in order to receive accurate results.

Prevention and treatment of parastomal hernia: a position statement on behalf of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland

AIM

The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) Delphi process identified prevention and treatment of parastomal hernia (PSH) as the second highest priority non-cancer related colorectal pathology. This position statement aims to summarize the current evidence base.

METHODS

Four broad themes were identified (prevention, diagnosis/classification, management and operative repair). Guidelines are based on evidence from an extensive literature review using organized searches on the PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system was adhered to for classifying the quality of evidence and reporting the strength of recommendations.

RESULTS

The suture repair of PSH other than for patients in extremis is not recommended. Synthetic non-absorbable mesh can be used safely in the short term in the construction of colostomies post rectal surgery, but longer-term follow-up is needed. Other broad recommendations are made around access to stoma care nurses, prevention classification and management.

CONCLUSION

There is a lack of high quality evidence for many domains in the prevention and treatment of PSH but the results of several studies are awaited. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD TO THE LITERATURE?: Parastomal hernias are a common and debilitating condition following stoma formation. This position statement from ACPGBI details the current evidence base and ongoing research for the prevention, diagnosis and management of parastomal hernias.