The Prevalence of Leakage, Peristomal Skin Complications and Impact on Quality of Life in the First Year Following Stoma Surgery

<b>Objective:</b> It is well established that having a stoma can negatively impact health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but there is a paucity of research describing the natural history of certain complications associated with living with a stoma, such as leakage and peristomal skin complications (PSCs), and whether these affect QoL within the first year of stoma surgery. The objective of this study was to investigate the pattern of such complications and impact on QoL in individuals who had stoma surgery within the preceding year. <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional study was conducted at three hospital sites in the United Kingdom to evaluate the burden of disease in those who had undergone intestinal stoma formation surgery within the preceding year. The study consisted of a one-to-one consultation with a study nurse and the completion of an online questionnaire by the patient (ISRCTN-registry: 23080097). The nurse-led interview directly evaluated peristomal skin health, whilst the online questionnaire evaluated the impact of leakage (using the Ostomy Leak Impact tool), generic mental well-being (by WHO-5) and wider HRQoL (by EQ-5D-5L). <b>Results:</b> A total of 114 individuals with an intestinal stoma completed the evaluations. The participants had a mean age of 55.8 years (range 18-87 years) and 58% were male. Forty-three percent of the participants had experienced leakage of stomal effluent outside the baseplate (e.g., onto clothes) in the preceding two weeks and 85% suffered from PSCs ranging from mild (35%), to moderate (18%), and severe (32%). Leakage and PSCs were associated with lower mental well-being and HRQoL (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Leakage events, HRQoL, mental well-being and peristomal skin health were similar for individuals across different timepoints from the time of surgery within the first year. <b>Conclusions:</b> This study reported a high disease burden in people with a new intestinal stoma. Experiencing frequent leakage incidents and/or living with severe PSCs were associated with reduced HRQoL and mental well-being.