Dealing with Stoma Leakage and Skin Erosion: Seeking Advice

Recently, due to being able to become a little bit more active, as new herbal medication is masking a lot of the symptoms of my illness, I have discovered that my stoma is no longer sitting in such a deep crater as it once was, as my skin seems to be tightening up. My weight loss had made my abdomen very floppy and loose.

So, I started experimenting under the direction of my stomal therapy nurse, and I discarded the Hollister / Adapt CeraRing, which was making my stoma sit far too low.

I am still using the protective sheets with my moldable ring, which I adhere to my wafer's cut hole, but I am still getting a little leakage underneath where the ring sits. When I last changed my bag, my skin had eroded around my stoma and looked bright red. It's not bothering me, but I'd like to get my skin to grow back around my stoma. Sorry, next time I will take a photo!

Should I try not using the protective sheet so that my moldable ring is flush against my own skin rather than against the protective sheet?

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Gracie

Hey,

So the protective sheet is on the thicker side. And if you're using that and a ring when you're already low or flush, you're going to leak. There is too much height (like you're building a wall), which is taking away length from your stoma. You want your stoma to have as much length as it can so it can go into the bag and not hit a wall. I would lose the protective sheet and just try using the ring, and I would use a 2.5 thickness and not a 4. And with the skin being red, be careful; once it gets to red, your bag won't stick. I would get a liquid skin protectant, Calvion 3M Advanced Skin Protectant or Marathon. It will protect the skin by putting a real covering on the skin, and your bag will stick to it.

Yes, I was thinking of doing away with the protective sheet, which was meant to protect my skin from the adhesives on the back of my wafer. I've got both Cavilon spray as well as the wipes, which I always use.
And although my stoma is flush with the bottom of my wafer, still a little bit is leaking underneath. When I change my bag tomorrow, I will try not using the protective sheet.
And hopefully, I will get a better seal!!

I try to take my time and not rush when I put on a new bag, and I hold it down for about 15 to 20 minutes, but I am beginning to suspect that now I no longer need the extra convex since my skin around my stoma is no longer sitting as deep.

Thanks, Beth.

Gracie, the liquid skin protectant, is not the wipes; those are skin barrier wipes. It's so completely different and has been the only thing I have found to actually protect the skin.

https://www.3mcanada.ca/3M/en_CA/p/d/b10255127/

https://www.medline.com/skin-health/marathon/

Also, Gracie, if you have discarded the Hollister rings, what kind of rings are you using?

My Ostomy Journey: April | Hollister

Hi Bob,

I could see the first website - I used that over 20 years ago until it became available in wipes and spray. But I cannot access the second site - as I don't think they accept people who live in New Zealand... :-)

I am using a moldable ring designed in New Zealand by Welland; they're called hyperseals, and they are infused with Manuka honey. My stoma nurse hoped that it would help heal my skin, which it has - I changed my bag earlier today, and things were looking so much better than 4 days before that.
But I also have Brava moldable rings which I use if I haven't got any skin problems.

The Cavalon no-sting barrier spray has the same ingredients as the wipes; I interchange them.

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