When to Order a StealthBelt After Ileostomy?

I'm 11 weeks in for my permanent ileostomy. I'm wanting to order a StealthBelt, but I know I have to wait until my stoma has stopped changing size. It's been the same size for my past several bag changes. How will I know when I've given it enough time to be confident of the size for the belt and to order pre-cut flanges?

Hi Pouch Potato,

You're in the right place to get plenty of support from our large community. Everyone here is super helpful and full of great advice.

Regarding your question, it's generally recommended to wait until your stoma size has been stable for about 6-8 weeks before ordering a StealthBelt or pre-cut flanges. Since you've noticed your stoma size hasn't changed over your last few bag changes, you might be close to that point. However, it's always a good idea to consult with your stoma nurse or healthcare provider to confirm that your stoma has settled into its permanent size.

Joining this website was the best decision for me. The support and shared experiences have truly changed my life. I hope you find it just as helpful!

The belt has really nothing to do with your stoma size; it's about the size of the wafer bag diameter, so it fits around the back of your bag just right, ensuring it stays on correctly.

So where you could run into trouble is if you're using the smallest barrier and you're cutting the hole for your stoma as big as the barrier allows. If your stoma gets any larger in diameter, you'll then have to move up to the next biggest size barrier, which has a larger flange for the bag to attach to. So if the barrier you're using now has room for you to cut a slightly bigger hole for your stoma to go through... you can order your belt. If you're right at the limit of the barrier and can't cut the hole any bigger... move up to the next biggest barrier and order your belt to fit that one. You can always cut your hole smaller, but not always bigger, so give yourself some room to grow.

;O)

Winner answer. True dat.