Support Belts and Irrigation - Surgeon's Recommendations and Tips

Hello all,

I am wondering if people wear support belts regularly and if so, were they encouraged by their surgeon to do so after their surgery? My stoma nurse assisted me in finding the right belt, but it seems loose until my abdomen gets distended. Not sure what causes the distention.

Any Ostos irrigate? My abdomen often hurts afterwards, but if I don't put enough water in the bowel, then it's a time waster.

I wish I could help but I just barely got a belt. Used it twice and am pretty much done with it except for days when I'm lifting or carrying. Mine wasn't surgeon recommended. A stoma nurse ordered it to prevent a hernia from worsening.

Also, I don't irrigate but am looking forward to seeing the responses you get to both questions.

Good luck!

Edit: Just for clarification, the reason I said I was mostly done with the belt was not a belt issue. I have a couple of other items perpetually taped to my abdomen beside the ostomy appliance, and I'd rather not have a belt work them loose. The belt itself (Nu-Hope) fits both me and the appliance quite well, is comfortable, and would seem to do its job.

Hello Steph

I have a ileostomy, not colostomy.

I am attaching a link to a support garment that I use. I only use it when exercising or doing something that should have some support.

I don't have any abdominal issues but use it as a precaution when I think it is necessary, and it works well for me.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32720409758.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.21ab65f2msjZ3N algo_pvid=f0eb80c0-35d1-4ce8-a492-b593a70a31f9 algo_exp_id=f0eb80c0-35d1-4ce8-a492-b593a70a31f9-0 pdp_ext_f=7B22sku_id223A2266213045691227D pdp_pi=-13B13.353B-13B-140salePrice3BAUD3Bsearch-mainSearch

There is also one with a hole for the appliance

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32889045637.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.21ab65f2msjZ3N algo_pvid=f0eb80c0-35d1-4ce8-a492-b593a70a31f9 algo_exp_id=f0eb80c0-35d1-4ce8-a492-b593a70a31f9-12 pdp_ext_f=7B22sku_id223A2265700758871227D pdp_pi=-13B14.173B-13B-140salePrice3BAUD3Bsearch-mainSearch

Dirt cheap but take a month of sundays to arrive from China.

Axl

I just got a Stealth Belt and it's very comfortable and seems to hold well.

Hello stephiecat4.

I had a hernia from the outset so I started wearing a hernia belt then.

I could not get on with many of them because my abdomen swelled when I had eaten and  shrank as time went by. Eventually I opted for those made by CIU (or is it CUI?). The are fastened by Velcro so are easily adjustable.

They come in different sizes, none of which suited me because I have trouble with breathing and ribs. However, they did offer to make me some to my own specification – but these were not suitable in practice either. I have now found a clumsy solution which involves folding the belt over from the bottom, which makes it narrower and therefore less likely to interfere with my ribs.    

I also have a peristomal hernia which I keep in place with a belt I made myself. It has a large buckle that situates directly over the stoma and applies pressure. Fortunately, I irrigate so there is no problem with it interfering with output.

Now, onto the issues of irrigation and abdomen hurting. It took ages and a lot of experimentation for me to find the best way (for me) to irrigate.   The cones didn’t work because of my hernia and the irritating splashback that occurred; Eventually I made my own pressured water device with an anal catheter which can get past the hernia blockage.

What happens in practice is that the system works like colonic irrigation, in that it continually pushes waste out as the water is going in. I therefore use about 5 litre of water, but only a fraction of this is left in the colon after the process is finished.

Occasionally my abdomen gets distended and hurts, but (don’t laugh!) I have found that if lift my 'left' leg and put it on the toilet rim, then the process of expulsion is more efficient. ( It doesn’t work with the right leg!!)

My processes and procedures have changed over the years because sometimes they work and sometimes not so well. I’m all for experimentation to find what works ‘best’ for me.  Sometimes this is to be defined as ‘best of an unsatisfactory lot’.

I hope you find a solution to you problems in the near future

Best wishes

Bill

My Ostomy Journey: Kimberly | Hollister

Hi Stephiecat4, I wear a Nu-Hope belt. It is enough to make me feel secure and not worry so much about getting a hernia.

https://www.nu-hope.com/

My stoma nurse recommended the Nu-Hope belt for me, on Wednesday, now fighting with insurance about it.

I don't have insurance so I don't have to fight.

Braggart

I'm a lover, not a fighter.

I've heard about the Stealthbelts but the price seems high. I may purchase one when I get back to work. I've been unemployed since November but hopefully this will change next week.

Irrigating has made life so much better but it's only because of the type of ostomy I have, that allows me to do it. I also had bariatric surgery so I don't eat a lot. My concern now is if I lose too much weight, the skin around the stoma will make it difficult for the pouching system to work. My surgeon told me to put weight on again. Kind of stupid to me.

Pretty much what I did.

Hi Bill. Well, that's encouraging because it seems like I have to try different things all the time. I wouldn't want to go back to not irrigating though. I'm surprised you can irrigate with a hernia? I was encouraged not to do that until I had it repaired. Thanks for your comments, they help.

Hello stephiecat4. 

Thank you fore you post. I would issue a warning on some of the things I say on here. My stoma nurse gives good advice about not irrigating with my problems. I am very grateful to her for her opinion which in these cases I ignore.  I am sure she is 'right' from an advice-giver's perspective, but from a practical point of view, I intend irrigating right up to the point where 'I' find it impossible to do! (in spite of the risks)

Best wishes

Bill

Axl, thank you for the link, buddy. I am going to look into it just for security and peace of mind reasons. I like the one with the hole. How was the size fitting? As coming from China, more times than not, their sizing runs smaller than the USA and Canada.

Hi there

I have a couple of each but I only wear the one without the hole when exercising or when I feel I need some support. The websites will have a waist measurement to go by and hole diameter, as you say the S, M, L description will be typically way too small. There are a few different sellers to look at until you get the info you need. I got a few as they are dirt cheap and put them away should I need them. Don't wear the one with the hole when doing any heavy work, could cause a prolapse, it would only be for general day to day support. As I said, dirt cheap, give it a try, works for me.

Axl