Mastering Ostomy Layers - A Comprehensive Guide

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Newbie Dana
Oct 12, 2016 6:43 pm

If you are anything like me when I got my new ostomy a year ago (happy anniversary to me and my pal!), you are terribly confused about all the products available and what to do with them in spite of all the information and samples the ostomy nurse handed to you. I hope I can pass on to you some un-confusion about the whole thing.

First, think of the whole thing like a beautiful layer cake rising in all its glory from the cake plate of your skin. Notice I didn't say your stoma, because we all know the one thing we do not lay anything on top of is the stoma itself. First, consider the condition of your cake plate - your skin. Is it cracked and chipped? Is your skin red and weeping, perhaps with sores? Is it just irritated and itching? Or is it in good shape? If your skin has sores, your doctor may have given you some specific cream or ointment to put on to help it heal. You also may need to cover the sore before putting any further layers on, because the adhesive in your appliance is almost sure to further irritate the sore. If your skin is weeping, but without open sores, you can use stoma powder to absorb the moisture and help soothe the irritated skin. Follow with a barrier spray to hold the powder in place and keep the adhesive on the appliance from further irritating the skin. A barrier spray (or wipe - there are a number of different products which do the same thing) can also keep waste away from the skin - the number 1 cause of skin irritation. If you have good healthy skin around the stoma, and you don't have any problems with skin irritation, you can skip this layer.

Next, is your cake plate perfectly flat? Is your skin smooth and even around the stoma, or does it have hills and valleys which can cause an appliance to leave gaps when placed on the skin? If you have hilly terrain around your stoma, then perhaps stoma paste is just what you need to fill in the gaps and provide a smooth surface for the appliance to lay flat. Note that when you apply stoma paste, you are reducing the area where the appliance adhesive hits your skin - in spite of its name, stoma paste is NOT an adhesive or glue! It merely fills the gaps to even out the surface and block any wastes from breaking through by traveling along a gap between the appliance and the skin.

An alternative to the paste is a flexible barrier ring, like the Eakin seals. These are moldable so they fill the gaps and valleys in the skin around the stoma, and also provide a surface to which the adhesive of the appliance will cling tightly, unlike paste. The only drawback I have ever found in these types of barrier rings is that they are fairly thick (not a whole lot, but somewhat, in comparison with barrier spray). This may not be of any concern, unless you have a jolly St. Nick tummy, or a lovely poking-out peristomal hernia. Start adding in additional layers and you start to look as if you were about 3 months pregnant! (maybe not an issue for women, but men? ...) There are very thin barrier seals, like Stoma Seal which will work quite well if your hills and valleys are not very pronounced. Not only is it waterproof and waste-proof, but it also provides an excellent sealing surface for the adhesive of the appliance.

Once your skin is prepared, you are ready for the next layer. In a 2-piece system, this would be the faceplate or wafer. In a 1-piece system, this would be the whole appliance itself. I will mainly discuss the 2-piece system, since that is the type that I use. I just don't know enough about 1-piece systems to discuss them intelligently. (Maybe someone else could step up to bat and talk about those?) In a 2-piece system, the faceplate is placed on the prepared skin separately from the pouch itself. There are faceplates available with precut holes in the center to fit around the stoma. However, if your stoma is not exactly round or evenly oval, then the pre-cut holes will not fit properly and you will need to use faceplates that you can cut your own hole in to properly fit your stoma. Also, a new stoma will continue to shrink and adjust its size and shape for a few weeks. So in the beginning and for some time, you will need to measure your stoma and cut to fit each time you change the faceplate. Once it stabilizes, you can use one of the plastic backing plates from a previously cut-to-fit faceplate as a template which specifically matches YOUR stoma, making it MUCH easier to change the faceplate each time.

Once your faceplate is in place, you may want to consider a waterproof cover for your faceplate. The Aqua Seal and SureSeal are 2 brands which are extremely thin (like plastic wrap) and which go over the faceplate (tucking around under the flange) and reach beyond the edge of the faceplate. There are also thicker barrier strips which go around the faceplate and extend beyond the edge of the faceplate. All these products provide additional security for the edge of the faceplate to prevent the faceplate edge from rolling up or coming detached from the skin. In addition, the Aqua Seal and SureSeal completely cover the faceplate and make swimming, bathing and even hot tubs enjoyable without worrying that your faceplate will detach (how embarrassing!). Anything to boost your confidence and go back to enjoying pre-stoma activities! Note that all these products can also be used with 1-piece appliances, as the pouch tucks through the center hole and flattens to the outside of the waterproof cover.

Lastly, the pouch is snapped to the faceplate, and your cake is complete! There are lots of different attachment systems, from stick-in-place adhesive types to flanged locking systems. I personally prefer a pouch that snaps into place with a positive attachment system that you can definitely tell is properly and completely sealed (but then, I've always been a bit paranoid!). Here again, once you decide on an attachment system, there are all kinds of pouch designs! When you were in the hospital, you probably were fitted with a pouch with a re-sealable end which can be emptied without removing the pouch, and used for several days. You can continue with that design if you wish, or you can choose a sealed pouch which is a totally disposable single-use design. There are advantages to both types - the re-closable pouch is more economic, but more time-consuming and labor-intensive to use. There can be unintentional splash-back when emptying the pouch in a public restroom. On the other hand, the closed pouch is easy to use: remove, clean around the stoma, snap a new pouch in place, and dispose of the old pouch in a plastic waste bag and toss into the trash - even in a public restroom. The drawback is obvious - you use 2-4 pouches per day, rather than 1 pouch in 2-4 days. If you have to pay for your own supplies, that may tilt in favor of the re-sealable pouches; if you are covered by insurance, that may make the ease of use of the closed pouches much more favorable. As far as size goes, most resealable pouches are longer than closed ones, simply because of the additional length needed for the closure. Closed pouches come in a longer 9" length and a shorter 7" length (for all you shorties out there). At only 5'2" tall, I prefer the shorter 7" length because it doesn't have to be guided down my pants leg (very uncomfortable!) and it just fits under all my clothes better. Again, this is a matter of choice.

If you need more security for your pouch, some pouches have tabs which connect to a belt which goes around the waistline and holds the pouch securely and prevents it from popping off at an inconvenient time (is there ever a convenient time?). In addition, if you have a peristomal hernia, there are wider belts which do not connect directly to the pouch but instead have a hole which the pouch passes through. The belt closes with Velcro to make an exact fit, does not put any pressure on the pouch or the stoma itself, and helps support and reduce the size of the hernia. If the pouch is the icing on the cake, I guess the belt would be the candles! Not always needed, but nice on your birthday!

Good luck to all the newbies and remember - build your cake carefully and enjoy life all day!

Bill
Oct 12, 2016 6:55 pm

Hello Dana. Thanks for the post, it makes for a great read and I enjoyed it very much.

I like the analogy with a cake and kept thinking that this cake would soon be filled with chocolate but I'm afraid it's of theĀ  type that I would fancy eating again!

Best wishes

Bill

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CH
Oct 12, 2016 7:42 pm

Great cake analogy, Dana...you provided some good information! Since we spoke last year, I have begun irrigation and it has changed my life...no more appliances/pouches to deal with...almost like before the colostomy...of course, you have to meet a few specific requirements and I feel very blessed that I do! I hope you are well and enjoying the beautiful Lexington weather! :) CH

Bettyjoe
Oct 13, 2016 1:19 am

Hi ch, it's nice to see you on the forum. I hope you are well. It makes me happy to hear how well it's going for you. Unfortunately, I stopped irrigating for several reasons. It was good, but had challenges. I will, however, try it again as soon as I am ready. As I told you, I feel embarrassed to have stopped and somewhat disappointed. Thanks.

CH
Oct 13, 2016 1:32 am

It's good to see you too, BettyJoe...there is absolutely no reason to feel embarrassed...disappointed...of course...but as we talked about, there will always be another opportunity for you to try again. I'm in agreement with you that irrigation does pose challenges in some ways...it's somewhat time-consuming and as we also talked about...some people have a "diversion" to the actual process. It's a very personal decision and as you know, everyone can't or doesn't choose to do it, and that's okay...we will keep in touch and you know how to reach me...continued blessings to you, friend! :) CH

 

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NotDeadYet
Oct 14, 2016 6:13 am

Wow, newbie Dana, thank you!

I have had a colostomy for over two years. It took me forever to understand the choices in colostomy bags, and thanks to you, I think I now do.

When people talked about "barrier rings" and "wafers" I had no idea what they meant. Faceplates? Pouches?

I think that, and please read and correct this, I think I tried a two-piece system. I had a circle of sticky band-aid stuff around my stoma, with a hardened piece sticking out around my stoma. And then I slipped on a bag onto that base. Was that what you call a "two-piece appliance?" Was the part stuck on me, was that a "wafer?"

It didn't work out. I pulled the bag of poo off of the band-aidy stuff that was stuck to my tummy. But it was a mess. . . poo was all over the place, it's way harder to clean off a rough-bandaid-type base than it is to clean off smooth skin. So I pulled the base off, too. And after all that, I figured it was way easier to have a one-piece bag-and-skin-adherent combo, if you're just going to pull it all off anyway.

So.o.o.... Do my one-use bags have wafers and barrier rings or are they a whole different animal?

iMacG5
Oct 16, 2016 3:01 am

Hey NDY, if you google ostomy suppliers and look through their catalogs you'll probably get all the pictures of all the stuff you're trying to identify.

Mike

NotDeadYet
Oct 16, 2016 7:21 am

Thank you, Mike, but I think the flood of supplier info and samples was the reason for my confusion! I came out of the hospital with a Hollister 8081, and then was bombarded with mail samples of powders and liquids and sticky tape stuff and things for which I had no name, and sure, I could call the attached 800 number and say "What is this?"

But nobody likes to call a blind number to ask what something is when they have absolutely no idea what it is and they never asked for it.

Past Member
Oct 18, 2016 1:34 pm

Dana, great information but there's a few new products that I've been using that have made my life a lot easier with my ostomy. As you said, pouches are very expensive and sometimes I have to change mine 3 to 4 times a day. I have found disposable pouch liners which are flushable. They fit all pouches, come in three sizes, and have changed my life. They are very convenient and easy to use. The brand I use is Colo Magic Pouch Liners. I buy them online from a store produced in British Columbia, Canada. I have also designed a new product for us called Ostomy Amigo, and it is an ostomy pouch cover that looks like a money belt, great for disguising your ostomy bag but also practical for storage of money, keys, or ostomy supplies you may need throughout your day. It is now online at ostomyamigo.com. Check it out and I hope this helps my fellow ostomates.

Merv Glip
Oct 18, 2016 4:38 pm

CH, okay well now I'm curious. What is this "irrigation" you speak of?

I am in landscaping and construction so it brings to mind something different I'm sure so please I'm curious and somewhat excited? Lol...

Merv.

CH
Oct 18, 2016 5:21 pm

Hey Merv...I completely understand your version of irrigation...haha...it's essentially the same thing I guess...it's a process typically done every 48 hours where you are allowing water to flow into the colon and "irrigating" it...allowing the water to flow out. In order to do it, you must have some healthy bowel and some healthy colon to allow the water to get through something. I have been doing it for several months and if you've read my posts, you know it's been life-changing for me...no more dealing with bags...pouches...etc. There are many people in this forum that have been doing it for many years...irrigation is not a new process...it's been around for decades. It's my understanding that the nurses used to work with the patients regarding it, but with the improvement of appliances, it's not talked about as much. If this is something that you are a candidate for and you have any questions, please feel free to ask...me or anyone that irrigates and is on this site will be more than happy to help. Blessings :) CH

h5g
Oct 19, 2016 8:03 pm

Good skin condition isn't happenstance, you have to be proactive in keeping it so, and therefore don't see how you can skip a step. Every single ostomate is different in needs and appliance procedure, and I'd use caution in "telling" folks what they can and can't do, no one wants to intentionally lead one in a wrong direction. Sweet little analogy, though. Regards.