Leaking Hollister Bags: Issues with the White Vent

I ran into an issue with Hollister bags. I have been using the 2-piece system since my surgery almost 4 weeks ago. The last 2 bags leak at night when I'm lying down. The area that leaks is out the white vent. I wake up a mess in the morning. Is this a common problem or faulty bags? Company is closed Saturdays, so can't call them.

Hi there,

I wish I could give you more insight into Hollister products. (I use Coloplast.) I can say that I have issues with filters, so I went filterless. I will have to manually burp my bag, but it is way better than having all air sucked out of my bag and then the filter clogs and leaks out even when I covered it. Not sure if that helps at all.

I use Hollister bags with a filter and have never seen anything like this. The filter clogs quickly and becomes useless, but it has never leaked at the filter. That's weird. Is your output particularly "liquidy"?

And before anyone asks why I just don't use different bags, I have only 31 days to my reversal and am not going to fight the insurance cartel to get more bags. 😤

Daniel

You good on the number of bags you need to get you by till your surgery?

Yes. More than good. We were expecting a reversal no sooner than December. Guess I have been working too hard on my recovery. 😄

Daniel

Hi Emonty, Leaking through the vent is fairly common, especially if your output tends to be loose and watery. I was having the same problem with Hollister products, and solved it by simply putting a piece of 3M Transpore tape over the vent. I would have gone to a pouch without a vent, but the one I like only comes with a vent. I don't mind having to burp my pouch, and I always found the vents pretty useless because even if they didn't leak, they would clog up so quickly that they didn't work anyway. The other problem with vents is that if they do work, they can make the front of the pouch suck in against the stoma so that your output gets stuck around it and can't move to the bottom of the pouch. Find out if the pouch you like comes without a vent, and otherwise just tape it up like I do. Easy peasy.

Terry

Never had an issue with the filters leaking on my Hollister bags. They do clog and are pretty much worthless once you have output and also because I rinse my bag out with warm water every time I empty.

I also find that I get leaks from the filter vent if I do not release the pressure from the gases, particularly when lying down. I also find that the filter blocks very quickly, usually when in the prone position. I use Hollister one-piece convex bags (53900).

I also get leaks often from the filter of my current one-piece Hollister. Funny enough, I never had this problem with my previous Hollister model 🤷🏻‍♀️ I've started putting medical tape over the filter when I leave the house & at night.

Like others have said, I find the filter becomes useless in a day or two. My last change, I didn't even make it to the end of the day.

I use a 2-piece Hollister. In 8 months, I never had a filter leak, probably because my output is pretty thick. I like the tab on the bag flange, makes burping easy.

I discovered a product called Osto-EZ-Vent. They are cheap and easy to install to any colostomy or ileostomy bag, 1-piece or 2-piece ostomy system, and is a great alternative to "burping."

And...With a squeeze water bottle that fits the EZ-Vent opening, you can easily wash out the bag with water after emptying it. No need to take off the bag. Though it's not necessary to wash out the bag, this will help get rid of "pancaking" residue and just looks cleaner.

I also found another useful device called "Stomagoggle ostomy belt." It has a plastic cover that fits over your bag and wafer and has a seal to make it waterproof. You can shower and not get the wafer and bag wet. I hate showering with the bag on. It takes me quite a while to dry everything, and usually the secondary tape on my wafer begins to come loose.

It's great there are products to make our daily Ostomy care easier.

I have the same problem. I put the vent covers on mine.

Bag leakage - I use Coloplast and had a leak only one time. That was when I had a day of liquid bowel. Do make sure when you change the bag that you use a tacky substance around your stoma and then use a hair dryer on cool to dry the area. Warm the bag with your hands before taking off the seal and applying it around the stoma. Hold your hand around the stoma area for about 1 minute and press around the outer seal area. The bag stays on nicely for me for 4-5 days, then the seal begins to degrade so I change it. Expensive as each bag costs more than $25.

That StomaGoggle thingy looks quite simple and effective. 👍

I have only had a leak at the air vent once, and that is because it didn't filter out the air and the air in the bag actually popped the vent. Mostly I find that I still have to burp the bag so I find the air filter pretty useless.

Lee

I rinse my bags with a douche bottle and I also soak and clean my bags, hang to dry, and they never leak at all. I use the tape around the wafer and I unsnap the top and clean around the top, and no more leaks at all. I use the 2-piece Hollister bags.

I rinse my bags with a douche bottle and I also soak and clean my bags, hang to dry, and they never leak at all. I use the tape around the wafer and I unsnap the top and clean around the top and no more leaks at all. I use the 2-piece Hollister bags.

I use barrier strips that go around the wafer. I have the 2-piece holster with vent and have never had it leak from the vent. I irrigate the bag with water in a douche bag and then unsnap the top and wipe that area with a baby wipe. Before I found the barrier strips, I had leaks from the wafer, not anymore! They are a lifesaver!! I also soak my used bags in warm soapy water with a bit of Clorox, rinse well, and hang to dry. That way, when Willie Boy is too messy, I can use a clean one and toss the messy one in the trash, which saves on bags. Hope this helps. Again, the barrier strips are a lifesaver!!! Good luck.