Skin to origin of mesenteric artery study (STOMA): prospective study of distances between stoma location and proximal superior mesenteric artery.

Background: Traditional siting of stomas, in the lower abdomen, has been guided by surgical dogma lacking evidence. In the lower abdomen, the combination of a thick and pendulous abdominal apron, can create a challenging and suboptimal site for a stoma. The anatomical determinant limiting delivery of a stoma to the abdominal skin is the distance of the SMA from the lower border of the pancreas.