Beyond the Surface: The Critical Role of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Managing Parastomal Hernias

The creation of a stoma inherently results in an abdominal wall defect. Parastomal hernias aredefined as an abnormal protrusion of abdominal contents through the abdominal wall defect [1].This condition affects up to 50% of patients, depending on the stoma type and follow-up duration[2]. To date, surgical management of this condition has been challenging.Patients may experience discomfort, stoma dysfunction, appliance leakage, peristomal skinproblems, and psychosocial distress. While not all hernias progress to severe complications,many result in chronic lifestyle limitations.Although often regarded as a cosmetic issue, parastomal hernias have deep functional and psychologicalramifications that can impair a patient’s quality of life significantly [3, 4]. Management is rarely linear anddemands a nuanced, individualised approach. Central to successful outcomes is the interdisciplinarycollaboration—especially between surgeons and nurses—which ensures not only technical care but alsosupport, information and education that are known predictors of better outcomes [5].In this article, we promote a patient-centred, interdisciplinary approach to the patient presentingwith a parastomal bulge, focusing on the patient’s key problems and concerns to improve outcomes.