Wafer Leakage

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papa

Hi, I'm Papa. I have recently been released from the hospital with a brand new ileoconduit. I am having a real hard time with the wafer seal, doing what and how I was shown. The longest I have gone without a change is four days, but usually it can be 2 to 4 times daily. It's a real pain and uses up supplies real fast. I have tried various products, but no help so far. I'm hoping someone out there has had this problem and has conquered it. I would be very grateful for any suggestion. HELP ME! Thanks so much. Papa.

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tarababy

Hi there... I too also went through what you are going through - first, I found I had been taught to cut the wafer too wide, which allowed leaking, which then caused more leaking and burning. When I cut smaller, it got better. But also, having a high-output ileostomy, I have to overdose on codeine for the side effects. But something that is much easier would be a product called Friars Balsam. It's a godsend. After a shower and skin all clean, get a sea sponge and cover the area that the wafer goes on. Let it dry a little. Seems to be enough just to get the wafer ready, then apply as normal. Hope that works for you. Good luck. Having an ileostomy is not easy until it settles. I only have to move the wrong way and it still happens, but nowhere near as the first year. Hang in there. It gets better. xxx

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Past Member

I have a urostomy, and have had it for 1 year today (December 27). I have not had any problems with leaking, and all I use is the exact brand the hospital sent me home with: Hollister. What the ostomy nurse showed me was to cut the hole to as close to the stoma size as possible, leaving maybe a 16th of an inch gap. Then put a small bead of "Stomahesive" paste around the hole on the wafer. She said you don't really use the paste to get it to stick, it's mainly used to form sort of a "gasket" like an o-ring. Everything seems to work so far.

My biggest problem is that I can't ever get the wafer to stay stuck all the time. I'm not sure if it's that I'm not getting all of the old adhesive off or not getting enough new adhesive applied. For the first 6 or 8 months, my wafer always stayed attached fine. But lately it seems to not stick very well at times. I used to be able to keep the bag on 7-10 days just like the hospital and the Hollister guides said I would. But lately the wafer seems to come unstuck after a few days. It could be from bending over, which is very difficult at times, especially to tie my shoe laces.

I doubt my reply is much help, but it's what I experienced. I'm wondering if it is the brand you use. Hollister seems to work 10 times better than any of the Convatec products, so I do my absolute best to stick with Hollister.

Past Member
Maybe you could help the leakage problem by seeing an E.T. nurse. You can call the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society toll-free at: (888)224-9626.
http://www.wocn.org/services/
Also, you may want to try Eakin Seals instead of paste. I have found that paste will not last more than a couple of days for me, and that causes leakage which also causes most rashes.
You can call ConvaTec toll-free at 1-800-422-8811
and ask for free Eakin Seal samples: http://www.eakin.co.uk/
When I use Eakin Seals, I stretch them to fit over the stoma flat and snug against the base of the stoma.
First, I clean the skin and then COMPLETELY DRY it
then if irritated, I dust on Stomaheasive Powder and then spray it with 3M Cavilon no sting Spray skin prep., dry it again and stretch and apply the Eakin Seal before applying the wafer.
I hope this may help.
Good luck and be well,
Charles in TX
I do not use the powder after I get the rash cleared up, but I always use the 3M Cavilon
because it protects the skin from leakage or
adhesive irritation.

Cavilon no sting Skin Prep.
http://tinyurl.com/c38op

3M Corp. has just started marketing this same formula above as Nexcare No Sting Liquid Bandage and can be purchased over the counter at Wal-Mart Pharmacies and elsewhere for about $5.00
DJfromPA

I use a great product that helps prevent wafer leakage and prolongs the wear time of the wafer considerably:
Smith and Nephew Skin-Prep wipes for about $6.50 for a box of 50. Wipe clean skin around the stoma where the wafer will be making contact. Let it dry. I use my hair blower. It works with Convatec wafers. (Hollister says it doesn't work with theirs, causing an adverse effect. Anytime I've used Hollister wafers, I had leakage within the first or second day, so I avoid Hollister anyway.) Skin-Prep works like a charm!
Also, for those who may not know, don't use perfumed soap to bathe or shower as it will leave a film on the skin that will compromise wafer contact.
Use a basic bath soap like Ivory or Pure and Natural that doesn't have perfumes and lanolin.
I hope this is helpful.

DJ from PA

 
Living with Your Ostomy | Hollister
Past Member

I use Convatec Combehesive Natura flanges, pouches, and Stomahesive paste around the Karaya seal.
If my skin ever gets sore under the flange, I use Duoderm extra thin dressing under the flange directly on the skin.
I have had an ileostomy for more than 30 years and played rugby for many of them, but used Hollister bags before they withdrew them.
Send for any trial samples that you can find on suppliers' websites and try them out until you find one that suits you.
Fortunately, I'm from the UK so all my equipment is at no charge.

Mick_Finn2

I know very well the difficulty adjusting to a new ostomy. I remember not long after the surgery that left me with 2 ostomies, waking to find the bed soaked with urine. It was so wet that I ended up trying to sleep at the bottom of my bed, shivering from the chill and having my feet propped against a dresser. I wanted to die that night and I know that I am far from alone in feeling that way at times. It's been a year and a half since my surgery and sometimes I think my stomas are conspiring to keep me off balance. Seems almost like they are taking turns being unreliable. Recently, I was bumped off Medicaid and that was the equivalent of reducing my available resources by about $450 a month. We were struggling when I had Medicaid. The one thing that you WILL find is that you are more adaptable than you ever thought you could be. I still have reliability problems. But it is better now than it was at first. In time, I am certain I will get to the point where a failure is nothing but a normal routine, but it hasn't arrived just yet.
In the meantime, I want you to know that if you want to talk about it and express your frustration, you will find that everyone on this site can identify with your difficulties. Many can suggest ways to deal with it.

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