If you develop complications following ostomy surgery, now Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) can help. Earlier this year YRMC Advanced Wound Care added Ostomy Nurse Terri Callan, MSN, RN, CWON (Certified Wound Ostomy Nurse) to its team of healthcare professionals. Terri specializes in helping people who experience post-surgical complications following an ostomy procedure.
“Now people have a local resource for these type of complications,” Callan said. “Patients no longer need to leave town which is great for the community and the people we serve. We serve the whole Quad-City area and outlying communities. We’re also getting referrals from Phoenix physicians who have patients who live in Northern Arizona.”
What is an Ostomy?
Ostomy surgery is a life-saving procedure which removes all or part of the intestines/bowels or bladder. Bodily waste then passes through a surgically created opening (stoma) on the abdomen into an ostomy pouch. (Ostomy is defined as an artificial opening in an organ of the body.)
You may need this procedure due to a birth defect, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, incontinence or other medical condition, or because of an abdominal or pelvic injury caused by an accident.
In the U.S., it is estimated that between 725,000 to 1 million people of all ages have had an ostomy procedure, according to the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA). Most people go on to live healthy, active lives with no impact on life expectancy. But sometimes wounds or other complications do occur, which is where Terri’s specialized training comes in.
How to Reach Your YRMC Ostomy Nurse
While working as a certified wound and ostomy nurse at YRMC, patients naturally began to seek Terri out for counsel when they experience complications following an ostomy procedure.
“I tried to meet with patients in the outpatient endoscopy department but this was not a sustainable solution,” Terri said. So earlier this year her role was made official and she began to see patients at YRMC’s Advanced Wound Care at the Del E. Webb Outpatient Center in Prescott Valley.
If you need to reach Terri with concerns about complications following an ostomy procedure, please call Advanced Wound Care at 928-771-4788 and ask to see the ostomy nurse. They can help you set up an appointment and obtain any necessary referrals.