Post Operative Skin Care After Colorectal Surgery

Hello, I'm Emily Rice, and I'm a nurse with the division of Colorectal and pelvic reconstruction at Children's National Hospital. I'm going to talk to you today about post-operative skincare following colorectal surgery. Following surgery on the colon, your child's stooling or pooping pattern is likely to change, at least for a short period of time. Very often, patients will have looser, watery stools and will stool more often after surgery. This can cause the skin on their bottom to be bothered or irritated and break down. If your child had an ostomy and their skin has not been used to having stool on it, this makes them even more likely to have some skin breakdown once the stool is coming out of the bottom. The goal of this video is to teach you how to care for your child's skin on their bottom after surgery. We want to prevent and treat any skin breakdown that happens due to the presence of stool on the skin. To care for your child's skin on their bottom after surgery, you will need the following supplies, a mild soap and water, and a large syringe or spray bottle. Soft, dry cloth, Cavallon no sting wipes, diaper creams as prescribed by your provider, stoma powder if prescribed by your provider. Place the supplies in the space where you intend to change your child's diaper, so that you have everything you need once you remove the diaper. Do not use baby wipes to clean your child's bottom, as this can worsen any irritation of the skin. Clean the bottom with mild soap and water from a syringe or spray bottle. Pat or tap the skin dry with a soft cloth. Do not use a wiping motion. Try not to wipe all the way down to the skin with each diaper change. Leave a thin layer of cream when possible. This thin layer of cream will protect your child's skin. When your child's skin on their bottom is broken open or has breakdown, you should treat the skin with Cavallo wipes by gently wiping the area with the medication. If you were instructed to use stoma powder by your provider, this is when you would apply it. You can apply a dusting or a very light amount of stoma powder, then tap or blot the powder with Cavallon wipes again to create a crumble or crusting. Only use stoma powder if our team or your medical provider told you to use it. Apply diaper creams as you were told to do so by our team over the Cavallo. Be careful not to apply the creams directly on the surgical site or stitches. Creams can cause the stitches to dissolve faster than they should. If your child was treated by the colorectal team at Children's National Hospital, please read and follow. Follow the directions on the skincare guidelines we provided to you. If you want more information, please visit the Colorectal Program's website. We have multiple videos and printed resources to help you care for your child. And don't forget, always check with your child's pediatrician or our team when caring for your child's medical needs.