Appearance of an Ostomy The bowel is lined with a mucous membrane similar to the tissue inside the mouth. Like the mouth, a healthy stoma is pinkish red and moist at all times. The stoma will always be red because of the many blood vessels that line the bowel. (It is not unusual to have some bleeding when caring for the stomas—the blood vessels may bleed when the stoma is washed.) Stomas may be round or oval in shape. Ileostomy and urostomy stomas tend to protrude approximately 2 cm (1 in.) off the skin; a colostomy stoma may be constructed fairly flush to the skin. For about six weeks after surgery, the stoma will be swollen.
