October 1, 2022, is Ostomy Awareness Day. It was first established in 1993 to draw attention to people living with a stoma and to advocate and spread awareness about this often life-saving procedure. Ostomy Awareness Day is sponsored by the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) and is celebrated every year on the first Saturday in October. World Ostomy Day is held every three years, with the following international celebration calendared for October 2024.
An ostomy is a surgical procedure that diverts either urine or stool to an outside opening or stoma. These procedures often result from conditions such as colon and bladder cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, or traumatic injuries.
U.S. Ostomy Facts
1M - Number of people in the U.S. living with an ostomy
250K - Number of annual ostomy surgeries
120 days - Average days to heal ostomy skin complications
80% - Complications preventable with education, care, and screening
20%-30% - 30-day readmission rates for new ostomies
Check out the United Ostomy Associations of America's "Ostomies are Life Savers" Infographic for additional U.S. ostomy facts.
On Ostomy Awareness Day, Corstrata applauds and honors those who have benefitted from life-saving ostomies and the clinical teams supporting them. The Corstrata team of board-certified ostomy nurses (WOC Nurses) has had the privilege of providing ostomy consultations to over 1,300 persons living with an ostomy. 99% of the respondents to our customer satisfaction survey indicated that they would recommend Corstrata to a friend or family member, and 22% responded they would have gone to the Emergency Room if they had not had access to Corstrata.
These consultations are offered for both persons with new ostomies as well as for those with longstanding ostomies. Telehealth consults are provided using secure technology in the comfort of one's home and afford ostomy support & education to assist with common ostomy concerns - leakage, skin issues, pouching system wear time, odor, lifestyle, nutrition, intimacy concerns, etc. Recommendations for new pouching systems and assistance obtaining pouching samples are provided.
On this day, we want to share the story of Meg and her journey following ileostomy surgery to highlight the need for coordinated, expert ostomy support and education from the hospital to home. This is support is vital to ensuring folks like Meg can live a full, high-quality life.
Costrata virtual ostomy visits are available for individual ostomates or for medical groups as a resource and education for ostomates.
Contact us at www.corstata.com or call 1-800-566-1307