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Surgical Mucus Fistula Output

Hi,

Wondering for those of you who have a surgically place mucus (mucous) fistula-- How much mucus does it output? Since surgery on 9-26-2012 I haven't had much output... just enough to cover with a gauze pad and change everyday.

Recently, however, I noticed a bit of mucus in there and while cleaning it I noticed it was thicker (almost waxy in consistency). So I cleaned it all out and quite a bit came out. Since then I've had what seems like a ton of normal mucus (greenish brown and smelly) coming out of the the "little guy".

Last night at work I soaked two gauze pads and when I came home to shower it put out even more. I would say I had like a tablespoon of output in maybe 8 hours. This seems like a lot. Is it? Maybe I just unplugged the little guy when I pulled the waxy mucus out?

I don't pass much from the back... I think since I've been home from the hospital I've only had to "poo" mucus out the back once. Does this sound normal (I attempted googling for answers and forum searching but I've found nothing)? I think I'd rather it come out the back cause it is rather smelly.
 

Terriernut

Moderator
That does sound like you 'uncorked' the little guy. Shame it isnt champagne. It does sound like rather alot, but that isnt what bothered me about your question. What concerned me was the colour and the smell. That I believe warrants a call to the Dr's office.
 
I should have probably prefaced this with the fact that the brownish color I see on the gauze is most likely dried blood (not a lot) from constantly cleaning the little guy off. He will bleed a bit if I'm a little too rough with him and after having to clean him every hour he was a little angry.

Plus I do have a stricture in the splenic flexure of the colon that was dilated right before emergency surgery so I would assume the greenish brown color could also be leftover from that area. I don't know this for sure though.

The smell is kinda like an old smell... I guess what you would imagine a colon that isnt being used smells like. I am just assuming since there's natural bacteria in the colon that it should probably smell a little.

I've just checked it and it is a little calmer on output today but i'm still wondering how much is normal.

One of my stitches fell out last night around the little guy too (I am assuming that's okay at this point in time since surgery was about 5 weeks ago) I'm not really concerned about the color or smell cause its what I would expect from that area, but I do wonder about amount. I will mention it to my doc though. Thanks guys.
 

Terriernut

Moderator
It was the colour you mentioned, green. That is what I was concerned about. You should not have anything green coming out of a mucus stoma.
 
Ok I rang the stoma nurse today and she said that output can range from thick and waxy to liquidy. She also said the color can be from yellow-beige to green to brownish.

She said output frequency can change and that if the mucus fistula is from the colon is will smell a little.

Basically she said I'm normal.

She did say she is going to send me some stoma caps to try out so I was pretty excited about that.
 

Terriernut

Moderator
I'm with Toothy on that one, glad you followed up on that! Very few folks on here have mucus stomas, so good info to have.

Whew!
 
Sorry I'm only just replying. Not been on here enough lately! I have a mucous fistula and Whilst only a small amount comes out of it (I can get away with changing the patch on it every 2 or so days) what does come out smells horrific and is greenish brown too. Sometimes like snot, sometimes a bit thicker. I do pass mucous occasionally the other way too which is pretty much the same consistency.
 
Yes, it's gross, green and stinks!! Glad I had the proctectomy cos it is all gone. I started losing the same stuff from the back passage and it became worse and worse, and I had no control. But green and smelly is normal I'm afraid xx
 
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