Leakage Issues After Bladder Removal Surgery

I had bladder removal surgery on Sept. 3rd and have been doing really well with my bag changes. All of a sudden, starting last week, I can't get more than a day or two before I get a major leak, especially at night.

My routine is: Use adhesive remover to get any residue, wash the area with Ivory soap, dry thoroughly, apply stoma powder and crust with skin prep (I do this twice), apply barrier ring and Hollister convex barrier, apply urostomy bag.

Also, the barrier ring starts breaking down in less than a day. Is this normal?

Hi G, I would try not using the soap, just plain warm water, as soaps nowadays have too much fragrance and lotion in them.

Make sure your skin is completely dry after stoma powder/skin prep. Also, are you molding your ring to your flange or applying it directly to your skin?

Some members on this site have reported getting supplies that are not up to par. Perhaps you got a box of flanges/baseplates that are defective? Rings too? They should last much longer. This seems to happen from time to time.

I use Cetaphil to wash the area. Also, if you cut your barrier, get a dime's width away from the stoma. I found that if there's a gap, the ring turtlenecks, and the ring starts to fall apart around my loop colostomy stoma.

Remeasure your stoma; it might have changed sizes.

You do not need to use stoma powder unless you are having skin problems.

My barrier ring begins looking bad pretty quickly but holds up for the full time. I've also tried rings that completely fell apart on me. I think it varies depending on how corrosive your output is. If you are going to change something, this would be the first thing I'd try changing.

Are your leaks occurring in the same spot each time? If so, check for new scars that may be interfering. I found that scar tissue can appear over time, and I now have scars that weren't there when I started.

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Hi Ron,

Ivory soap has no lotion and no fragrance, which is why it was recommended by my stoma nurse.
It is just pure soap, and I rinse it off and dry the area thoroughly before moving on to the next step.

I molded it to my flange. I am beginning to think the products could be defective.

I measure my stoma each time I make a change. I do have some skin irritation, which is why I use the powder and skin prep. Yes, the leaks are always on the right side and on the bottom. I'll check for scarring.

It definitely happens. I know some will call the supplier and complain, and they will send out replacements.

In the meantime, though, what a bother UGH!!!

If you don't have any scarring to explain the leaks, call for free samples of other barrier rings as well as complain to your supplier. Your barrier ring may not be working for you.

With scarring, there are techniques like using paste or another barrier ring to even out the surface. You can also try a different appliance. Some flanges/base plates are more flexible than others. I use the Coloplast Sensura Mio, and it seems very flexible and has accommodated my growing scars. But get samples of everything while you are at it. See what works best for you. We are all different.

Just a small tip... I was unable to use any kind of ring with my stoma, but I have an ileostomy.

This may be completely different from a UROSTOMY stoma.

I prefer the Coloplast SenSura Mio deep ostomy drainable products. I've tried many others, but now I'm wearing a single drainable bag that stays on my body with no leaks for 3 to 4 days. I secure it with the barrier strips.

You might want to try the barrier strips around the outer portion of your flange; that might help you from having a leak. I'm uncertain how your stoma is positioned, but mine, the orifice is facing up. So I had quite a time finding something that would work without leaking, and the deep convex Coloplast flange bag works terrific.

Look up barrier strips, okay.

Hope this helps.

Blessings.

The bag now comes in black. And I prefer black.

I use the same setup for my urostomy, so it's a good suggestion. I don't know if the OP needs a deep convex. I'm trusting that her stoma nurse would have identified that if needed. But my urostomy is skin level, and convexity was a game changer for me. I'm actually using the light convexity on my colostomy and sometimes wonder if I should switch to deep convexity because that one moves so much and sometimes it pulls back to skin level.

Just as an FYI, I am having some skin issues, and seeing your post on Ivory Soap, I thought I might give it a try. I immediately consulted my ole' pal Google about Ivory Soap before ordering it on Amazon to join my ever-increasing arsenal of soaps, lotions, potions, and snake oils. For example, my most recent purchase was Bee Venom…. I can't even remember why I ordered it, but I am sure it was a good choice/option at the time.

Anyway, long story short… Google's and AI's reply to my question “Is Ivory Soap good for my skin?” resulted in various answers, as is what usually happens. Some info included high pH… some info claimed it may not be good for sensitive skin or for individuals with eczema, aka atopic dermatitis. I decided against adding this to my collection for now…. jb

Ivory soap is a relatively pure soap. That means it has no oils or additives to interfere with the seal on your appliance, so it is a reasonable choice for cleaning around the stoma.

However, many of the oils and additives actually make soap easier on your skin. Ivory will tend to dry it out, and I wouldn't call it "good for the skin."

Try molding the ring around your stoma. I stretch mine and cut it so I can wrap it around my stoma. At first, I put it on the barrier, and it didn't work for me.

Gsali, I had my bladder & prostate removed Nov. 2023. Staring the first week, I had to use NyStatin powder because of a rash around the barrier adhesive ring. Used it for the first two weeks after surgery; all was good; never used powder again, of any kind.

Your routine is ok, EXCEPT try NO STOMA POWDER, and NO SKIN PREPS. I don't use and all is good.

But, DO TRY: "ConvaTec Esenta Sting-Free Skin Barrier Spray". It makes the area a little tacky after it dries (very quickly) and provides a thin protective layer to the skin. Spray it around where the adhesives will be AND it's ok for the stoma. Here's a link for example:

https://www.exmed.net/convatec-esenta-sting-free-skin-barrier-spray

A little pricey, but lasts many uses; my health plans pay for it (Medicare & Aetna Senior Plan 'F' Supplement) so yours may also (from your registered supplier).

So, after you're dried off, NOTHING ELSE but spray this barrier spray, then apply your barrier ring,
the convex barrier, and attach urostomy bag.

I assume you're using a urine bag for overnight use. I use a BARD, 2-liter urine collection bag. I have fallen asleep watching tv without this bag and was wakened by a terrible deluge. My bag was full to the brim with nowhere to go but through the adhesive ring. I also use two hospital underpads on the sofa/couch, just in case. I call these "Chux Pads".

Anyway, good luck to you on this journey. Maybe give an ostomy (WOC) nurse a call if you still have one. If not, go to The United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) website to find one in your area.

Only the best,

Mike