Preventing Ostomy Leaks: Essential Tips!

I also use a hairdryer on cool, cover the stoma and warm the skin before I place the wafer on. It dries and warms the area. And also after it's on to warm it to the skin.

I had an inverted stoma with extra skin surrounding from having lost weight. I have a few tips of my own.

After each step of preparation, I washed the skin off with soap and let it fully dry. I used the rings but tore them into pieces to fill gaps in order to have a flat plane to apply the bag to.

I also had to lie down flat after application to warm the glue and keep it sticking in the flat position.

Also, note that your appliance should be new. Age decreases the stickiness.

And if you have to change often, be aware that the panel is much stickier when newly applied. They are easier to remove after wearing a day because of body oils and stool fluids, so I begged my doctor to get me anti-adhesive spray that I applied to the outside of the bag as I peeled it off. Before that, my skin was ripped constantly.

And of course, once you feel any leak, just go ahead and change. It's impossible to get it to restick, and you end up making yourself sore there.

I am 4 months post-op and have been trying the Marlen deep convex. I had so many leaks before and find with this the convex is deep enough I don't need barriers!! I really am loving it.

Thank you, this is very helpful.

I just had a revision in October. Since then, I have a retracted stoma. I also have a dimple next to the stoma site. I cannot get my appliance to stop leaking. I have tried paste, convex barrier rings, liquid latex, building dams from rings and paste. I am at a loss, and I'm falling into a very dark depression. I don't want to leave the house or move from my chair. I'm going weight like crazy, and that is making life even harder. All I want to do is sleep, but I'm afraid to sleep because I know I'll have a leak. So, I've been sleeping in my chair so I'm on my back with nowhere to roll. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks for these tips. I think skin prep is a problem for me. It's irritating to my skin but I was told the power won't work without it. True?

Oh, good idea! Thank you!

From what my ET nurse says...the powder should be used when there's open blisters or what have you on your skin. I tend to use the prep wipes only. My ET nurse also believes less is more when putting anything on.

I believe the nurse. I do not have any problem with my stoma and pouch. I make sure that nothing, including soap, gets near the site. I use the baby terry cloth to clean and remove any glue. Then dry with a paper towel and then blow dry with a small hair dryer before applying the two-piece convex Hollister pouch. I originally, 5 years ago, had problems with a flat pouch leaking but after changing to a convex one, I did not. Bonus......I also now wear a hernia belt as well. It really holds the pouch in place, there is no chance of a leak as it presses everything snugly against my stomach.

I always have such problems with the adhesives! I had my colostomy reversed but when I had my bags, I had to change sometimes 3 times a day!

I continue to have problems that I have to bandage: hernia repair, leaking stoma scar, and right now my stoma scar is completely opened and leaking fluids. I had to change every hour the first couple of days this happened, but now it's starting to close again.

The adhesives irritate the heck out of me! I feel a constant niggling itch under the bandages, and I get ripped up removing them.

The ones that are easy to remove itch the worst. I think I have a latex allergy, but are adhesives made of latex? Also, the adhesive that's left on my skin itches me to death too.

I'm having a CAT scan on Tuesday to see what's going on. Hopefully, I can just let this heal and go forward from there if they don't find a cause that has to be surgically repaired. This scar is from last May when I had my reversal.

I'm going tomorrow for "wound care" and hopefully I can get some hypoallergenic products. I guess that's what I need.

Hey Chark,

How did everything go with your wound care visit?

Hi Mrs. A,

He was going to get me in home nursing but for wound care but I don't need that at this point. It's still draining but it's closing up slowly.

I see surgeon early Monday to get results of CAT scan and I hope to learn cause of the wound opening. I can feel another hernia already though and it's much bigger than last time so I'm expecting to have another procedure.

It's very depressing but I hope to get fixed up once and for all and move forward on the road to health. And I intend to continue taking it real easy so I heal properly.

Thank you so much for asking. It helps a lot to have someone to talk to.

Charlotte

Hi Charlotte,

I'm glad you have such a good attitude, it really helps get us moving in the right direction. For me, I would like to know how come these hernias keep happening. I wonder if they could shed some light on that? Can we be more successful in keeping them from happening?

Mrs. A

Mrs. A,

I was mistaken about having another hernia and I'm not sure what it is.

It was a lump and after I was diagnosed with MRSA I thought it was going to burst open because it looked like it was coming to a head.

The antibiotics must have slowed it down but it's still there and painful.

I lost much time getting started on treating the MRSA with the hernia surgery and being sent home with "call if you have problems" when I was there with a problem.

I'm finally taking care of it now I hope.

Hey Char,

Glad you're finally able to take care of the problem now. Hope the honey works for you. If not, there are other remedies out there.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

What kind of ostomy do you have?

I didn't know there were different names.