Advice Needed on Managing a Urostomy Bag After Colostomy

Hi everyone, I am new to the forum, so I am just finding my way around.

I had a colostomy operation 9 years ago, and now my urologist has advised me to have a urinary diversion.

I manage my stoma bag without a problem, but I would appreciate some advice from someone who has a

urostomy bag.

With urine being liquid, are there many leakages with the bags?

Are they easy to change with urine constantly draining from the urostomy?

My worry is I will have the operation and then end up worse off than I am now.

I will have other questions, no doubt, but those are my main concerns at the minute.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I have both a urostomy and a colostomy, so I can speak to this.

I do not have any more trouble with leaks on the urostomy side than I do on the colostomy side. In fact, it's less on the urostomy. The only leaks I've had since getting my system down have been entirely my fault, mostly caused by falling asleep without hooking up a night bag. (Don't do that! Lol)

Changing appliances is a bit more challenging for the urostomy because, as you've said, the urostomy output never stops. You'll need to do most of the change one-handed so you can hold some paper towel over the stoma while cleaning and drying the skin. Some people are able to get nearly no output by changing first thing in the morning (before coffee!). That hasn't worked for me, though. So I use a paper towel and slap that wafer on very quickly. I've had some frustrating days, but overall it works out fine.

If you are having issues with your bladder that are impacting your quality of life, I think you will be happy with the urostomy. You certainly have an advantage going into it since you are already experienced with managing a colostomy. You'll pick up managing the urostomy faster.

We have other members with urostomies, but they tend to be quieter than me. Maybe someone else will chime in. But if not, feel free to ask anything.

Hi there,

I too am new to this forum and have a urostomy. It's only been 2.5 months, but I haven't had any trouble changing my bag. I've had a couple of oopsies, but with everything new, there is trial and error.

While taking a brief nap, one of my cats walked across me and punctured my bag. I awoke soaking wet... panicked until I got my wits about me and discovered the tiny hole. Now I keep covered and protected from those claws. One other time, while changing the bag, I left my stoma uncovered and it sprouted a fountain... we live and we learn. Best to you.

SusanT, ClaraD, NewMe25, thank you for the advice; it's greatly appreciated. I'm a quadriplegic, so because I'm sitting all the time, I'm prone to kidney infections and have to drink plenty of water. I was worried the bags would leak easily during the night. Susan, I'm using a SenSur Mio 1-piece closed stoma bag. Are the urostomy bags something similar? i.e., one piece that sticks to your skin and is only drainable? And how often do they need to be changed?

How to Stay Hydrated with an Ostomy with Collin | Hollister

I too am using the

SenSura Mio Convex

Deep convex urostomy pouch

1 piece transparent with belt tabs

Reference # 16867

Pictured... showing drain plug!

I change it 2 times per week.

🔒 Login to see image

I use a 2-piece Sensura Mio deep convex, but as NewMe25 has shown, these are available as 1-piece as well.

You can also see from those pictures that there is a simple plug outlet, which I like very much. Hollister has a fancier valve on the bottom, which some people prefer. I mostly went with Coloplast because the night bag is so much nicer. The tubing is more flexible and less likely to twist.

I change both my appliances every 7 days. I'd think you could expect to change yours at a similar frequency to your colostomy. I have sometimes had some leaks with my colostomy that caused skin problems and forced me to temporarily change more frequently, but it has never happened with the urostomy.

Thanks again for the advice, everyone; it's made my decision on whether to have the surgery or not a lot easier. I'm sure I will need a lot more advice in the future, so I'm glad I found your fantastic forum.

Susan, even though I do not have a urostomy, I enjoy learning about it from you. I have a colostomy, but I also study/learn about ileostomies and urostomies because I never know when I may need one. I have a neurogenic bladder that occurred due to a cervical injury, so things can change instantly.

Eddy, hi, I have a urostomy since summer 2023, and I have had no issues with leaking.

I use 3 swab compresses to cover the stoma while prepping, and I put a paper bed cover under my body while I work.

Clean work avoids leaking and skin issues.

I use a one-piece bag from Hollister (59901) and a skin protection ring (8815) around the stoma for extra leak protection, all from the same brand. I use the bag for 4 days to avoid wear and tear. I set my iPhone reminder for that. I have never had leakage or skin problems. I prep my skin with 3M Cavilon 1 ml swab. I remove the bag adhesive with the help of a Dansac skin protector.

My night bag is also Hollister, and I use that for 6 nights. Mind you, using it longer increases the risk that the tube connected to the stoma bag fails during the night. I observed that the tube-to-orifice connection is a weak design, and the use of the right materials is therefore limited to only 6 nights.

This is it. This process is fail-proof for me.

Thank you for the advice, WhatAHack. It's much appreciated.