K43.5: Parastomal hernia without obstruction or gangrene

You have an incisional hernia on your artificial anus.

You have an artificial anus. What is more, a piece of intestine was guided to the skin during an operation. The feces is then released directly into a bag. This site is a weak point in the abdominal wall.

The abdominal wall is the front part of the abdomen. The abdominal wall is made up of various layers. From the outermost to the innermost, the layers are: the skin, the fatty tissue, the muscles and various connective tissue layers. The abdominal wall is very solid. The organs thus remain in the abdomen even at high pressure.

The artificial anus is a weak point in your abdominal wall. A hernia has formed on your artificial anus. As a result, the intestines may be squeezed through the muscles and connective tissue. In the process, the intestines always remain covered by fatty tissue and the skin. A protrusion on the artificial anus may then be formed. The protrusion is particularly visible when pressure in the abdomen is high. That may occur for instance during coughing or squeezing. Pressure in the abdomen also increases with heavy lifting.

Due to the hernia, you may have burning pain on your artificial anus.

If the weak point is especially small, the intestines may jam in the gap. The blood supply may then be cut off. In that case, the intestines are no longer properly supplied with blood and can thus be damaged. If this condition lasts too long, the intestines may necrotize. But the hernia will also often cause no symptoms.