Parastomal hernia: incidence, prevention and treatment strategies.

Parastomal hernia continues to be a common and distressing problem for patients with stomas, and research investigating prevention strategies is scant. In March 2005 Thompson and Trainor reported that the introduction of a prevention programme for 1-year post-stoma surgery formation had significantly reduced the incidence of development of parastomal hernia. This was further supported by a follow-up study in 2007, strengthening the reliability and validity of the first findings by confirming a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of parastomal hernias through the introduction of a simple non-invasive prevention programme. This article reviews the current literature on incidence, prevention and treatment, together with a step-by-step guide for stoma care nurses to implement the prevention programme and/or study within their area.