Repair of peristomal colostomy hernias

Peristomal herniation represents the second most common late complication of abdominal wall enterostomy. Early herniation results from the creation of too large of a fascial defect. Late herniation is caused by a gradual enlargement of the fascial defect because of a poor selection of the colostomy site or an intrinsic weakness of the fascia due to the patient's age or general condition. Once peristomal herniation occurs, operative repair should be considered in an otherwise healthy person. Previous reports advocate primary repair of the herniation. In the present series of nine patients, three patients developed recurrence of the hernia six to eight months after primary repair. Six patients had colostomy hernia repairs that involved moving the site of the original stoma. All of these repairs remain intact at an average of two years, nine months (range, four months to six years). We therefore believe that the solution to the problem of recurrent colostomy herniation lies in the transposition of the site of the original colostomy.