Should I Change My Hollister 2-Piece Flange After 4 Days?

Hi all,

I have had my flange on now for close to 4 days. Should I leave it on or change my flange?

I currently have no leakage. This is the longest I have been able to keep it on since my surgery at the beginning of November.

Thank you

Hi,

I think you will hear different answers. It basically comes down to you and what you feel is best for you. If you are getting 4 days, then you are doing great. I was told no more than 7 days if it lasts that long. Some people may change every day; others might not. You do what works and what is good for you to give yourself peace of mind.

Good for you, you are doing very well. It's good for the skin to get a bit of air time, but just change it when you feel the need 👍

I use the 2-piece Hollister system and have a permanent colostomy.

I change the wafer every 7 days. The maximum I've gone is 8 days. No problems. Skin looks good. If you change the wafer too much, your peristomal skin will get beat up.

I snap new bags on as required, usually if a bag gets too fouled up with output, or I'm too lazy to change the wafer.

Don't overthink when to change your flange. Keep things simple. There is no right answer. It's trial and error what works best for you and you alone. Good luck to you on the journey. 🍷

The longest I have gone has been 6 days. It was great! I usually get about 4 days.

I am on a 5-day schedule. Each change contains a long, warm shower so I can give my skin a chance to breathe and soak up the humidity, which is lacking in our local climate. :-)

Daniel

Everyone is different. There is no set time frame. You will know.

I usually change every 4th day. I try to do it so I have a fairly fresh bag on for my work week and then a fairly fresh bag on for my days off. That way, I don't waste my off-day time changing my bag, and it gives me good, secure bags most of the time. IMO, the sticky stuff only sticks really well for a couple of days and then starts to deteriorate the longer it's on as it changes color the longer it's on (no proven theory, but that's how I think). Obviously, if you sit around and don't do much physical activity, you can probably go much longer with no issues, but I'm very hard on my bags/setup.

Usually change wafer every 7 days with no problems.

I'm trying out 9 days to see what happens. Shower with bag on during this experiment. Changed the "snap on" bag 3 times so far with no discomfort or leaks. I travel a lot. So don't always have extra time for shower/wafer change. Plus my wife is a shower hog. I always tell her, "Ya look the same coming out as you went in."