Trouble with Urostomy Bag Leaks

Hello! I'm having trouble getting my bag right. It leaks in about 2 days, sometimes sooner. I use Hollister products.

Urostomies are a royal pain.

I have so many questions...

Does your stoma sit well above skin level (at least 2 cm or about 3/4 inch)?

If not, are you using a convex wafer? A low or recessed stoma makes it easy for urine to make its way under the wafer and leak. Mine is slightly recessed, and my stoma nurse told me that low and recessed stomas are very common with urostomies.

Are you using a barrier ring?

Do you have scars or folds near the stoma?

Have you measured the stoma recently? It will usually change sizes for the first 6-8 weeks. If you aren't measuring, you may be cutting too large, leading to leaks.

Try different brands. I'm using the Coloplast deep convex Sensura Mio. It has more convexity than the Hollister I was sent home with. That was very helpful.

Hi Randall - I second SusanT's advice, especially the measuring. Also, Coloplast has some good pre-cut one-piece bags that have worked well for me over the years. Best, Bryce

I use a one-piece Hollister urostomy bag. It's convex, but I put half a barrier ring on the top of the opening because that's where my leaks were happening, and now it is very rare that I get a leak. When you pull your bag off after a leak, you can tell what side the leak started. If it's consistently on one side, try cutting half a barrier ring to put on that side of the flange to beef it up. Hope this helps.