Coloplast Sensura Mio velcro not stopping micro-leaks/smell

The Sensura Mio has been both amazing and awful in some aspects compared to the Hollister (tape irritation and other issues prompted me to switch). I use the convex light, I no longer have any leaks vs convex soft or regular. I also just recently figured out that, because my stoma (ileostomy) is usually completely retracted, the barrier rings were just swelling over on top of it and irritating the peristomal skin by diverting some of the flow beneath the turtleneck, even if the convexity kept it from really escaping that small area.

My problems now mainly revolve around smell.

They really should have unfiltered bags, it took me weeks of trial and error to fully seal the leaky filters. Because the bag plastic is so chemically resistant, and whatever you use needs to be completely waterproof and non-porous to prevent vapor from getting out, the only thing I've found that works is to apply a quarter size amount of hot-glue over it. At least, I hope that's solved it, I don't know the actual chemistry of the glue and if it's truly resistant- probably proprietary just like the bag material. Hopefully there aren't phthalates or something in the bag material eating through my layer of glue.

The velcro is a pain. I usually don't have an issue keeping the velcro itself clean or folding it properly, but depending on the consistency waste will get into the creases on the sides of the tail opening and in the crease below the wide-mouthed opening (where the bag material bonds to the lip). I've used damp toilet paper to wipe, and sometimes go over the inner and outer lip surface with an alcohol prep wipe for sanitation, but it’s nearly impossible to clean 100% once it’s in there and it only takes a tiny amount to make a smell. Also, after opening and closing the lip it will warp which makes it mandatory to place toilet paper (torn a tad wider than the opening and folded ½ to 1 inch tall) over the lip to absorb drops that seep out even with the velcro tail firmly closed and sealed. I've even started making an extra layer of similarly folded plastic wrap on top of the tissue to try and keep the smell contained but that only seems to last a short while, plastic wrap is permeable. Because of the width of the plastic lip and the velcro strip attached to the back of the tail I can't seem to use any ostomy clips, so now I'm going to see if I can get a thin flat-ish extra long barrette (or look for barrette style ostomy clips) to seal it off. I’m not sure if that will help much once stuff gets into the creases though.

I'm even considering adding a ring of hot glue to bond the bag to the flange to be sure nothing is getting under there, but I usually feel more secure with the click seal vs hollister's zip-lock style flange that always gave me trouble. I wouldn’t even know how to begin inspecting the bag borders for possible micro tears...

Why are these things so darned hard to seal up?

Any tips/advice for keeping the tail clean and fully sealed? I don't want to take the risk that I'm experiencing phantom farts.

Oh, and they crinkle. I wish they made them in the soft white opaque plastic like Hollister’s.

Has anyone considered making a custom/hybrid/frankenstein hollister+coloplast bag out of sheer desperation? Because that's where I'm at. I love the flange (not counting the inner cut-to-fit section is too flexible), and the click ring. But that's it. I loved hollister's bag material (not counting the fabric), and the lock n' roll, but that's it for them too.

So so tired of this!

Post Edited (aurum636) : 9/5/2016 1:35:34 PM (GMT-6)

I found the Hollister tail easier to clean oddly enough, it didn't seem like it trapped stuff as easily.

The lip with the two small velcro circles is always folded back against the other pair of velcro circles, I don't open/detach those to empty, I just kind of pinch it open from the sides. Only about three times have I accidentally gotten anything on the velcro, and I switch to a new bag if I do. I always always wipe around the inside like you said to remove any debris and I use some sort of lubricant to help.

I tried using the blue stickers but noticed a little condensation and dampness beneath, so I started using alternatives (and it seems to help, just not for that long).

I don't know if it's a micro leak though. Sometimes I do smell it very soon after changing to a new wafer, some of it may very well be phantom, or maybe I need to heat it with a hairdryer like I used to with Hollister's to get a better seal. When I remove the old one I only see a little bit of the wafer swollen/eaten away around the stoma, never any further than 1/2 inch- just to the edge of the convex part but not in that space between. I honestly haven't had any real leaks or near leaks in months, which is why I really like the wafers. Maybe I need to try switching them every two days instead of three.

Like I said I am just recently trying out the wafer with no barrier ring, and I've been used to cutting the opening a couple millimeters for clearance so when the stoma swells it's not restricted but I think the hole is large enough to try without.

I still have a few boxes of Coloplast so I will try heating them for a better seal, not cutting that extra clearance, and switching at 2 days for a little while to see how that goes. I like how low profile the bags are, but if I need to switch to another brand I will.

I'll order some samples of Convatec too. I'm pretty small though, how large are their wafers?

I never thought to use that, I actually have a couple of those rice filled heaters. Thanks for that! An ostomy nurse I've seen mentioned a small damp washcloth warmed and put into a plastic bag but that seemed a bit too involved.

The only downside with the hairdryer method (although I always try and hurry so I've never tested it fully) is that it might make the gummy material dry up a little like when you take the wafer liner off too early or your stoma decides to pick a fight right after the old appliance is taken off. It's not impossible that's just a color change with heat or air exposure though.

But yes, I didn't realize Hollister's convex wafers were larger, somehow I didn't notice the difference when I opened the packaging but when I applied it my belly button disappeared. Obviously that wasn't going to work. It wont hurt to another look at the other brands again though.

I don't think Edgepark stocks Salts either. As I kind of looked for those before.

I guess it is comforting to know you aren't the only one. But I do find it odd and still can't quite understand how it leaks. When you unhook the back flap from the Velcro dots and fold it back over the leak comes from in side that? With that flap closed over it seems hard for anything to come out.

Even though it was 4 different boxes did you see if they are all from the same lot? I did have an issue with a few pouches separating by the ring and it turned out they were from 2 different boxes but the same lot. All my other boxes were different lots and I've not had that issue anymore.

If I ordered them from Canada without insurance at a website like this one here it's a little under $60 before any tax/shipping/handling. I'm not sure I can afford that on a regular basis unfortunately.

https://www.scisupply.ca/products/sensura-mio-narrow-outlet-click

Here is the Coloplast.ca website, they are at the bottom of this page, numbers 11432 and 11443:

http://www.coloplast.ca/sensura-mio-click-drainable-en-ca.aspx#section=product-variants_4

I wondered about the adhesive coupling but have never tried it. I have to use convex, and I prefer it to have belt tabs, as long as those two features are there I'm ok. The click just felt very secure especially after Hollister's zip-lock style that can't bend without leaking and didn't experimented further. I want to look into that though, the lower profile the better.

So, I'm a little confused with the flap thing. It's not supposed to stay velcro-ed back when you fold it up? I always wondered if there was a reason for the flap-shaped trapezoid indentation... it always felt like it wanted was trying to spring back up when folded like that (I'll call it envelope style) so I never tried it that way, how do you deal with the springy-ness? That would explain why in the bag review the guy says it helps hold it open... that's exactly what I *don't* want. I have to try this tonight...

(I just read the instructions, it does indeed say fold three times, I've been keeping it velcroed to the circles and folding twice. ARG. This makes more and more sense the longer I think about it!)

Just posting an update. After living with it for a week I can pretty much say that closing the tab without the velcro circles does in fact stop tail leaks. I'd say it's also accounted for at least 90% of the smell that I was experiencing.

I actually have to go back to using the barrier rings because even if they were being partially eaten through and had a tendency to cover up my retracted stoma they were still responsible for containing everything, if any gets into the inner gap (not a full leak just an 'inner leak') some smell will still migrate through so I need to do that again tomorrow. I've had a very active period with output recently so finding an inactive time has been a bit challenging but I'm positive that will bring me up to 98-99% no-smell coverage. Very, very happy about that.

Next up, finding a good material to sew some bag covers with... preferable thin, smell-proof, as soft as possible, and opaque. Ideally it would muffle the bag crinkles but that may be a taller order, I'm not very experienced in fabrics etc. I have read about neoprene inserts for muffling though, if anyone has ideas for how to hold one on the inside of a cover against the wafer I would very much appreciate the input. I may end up creating a new thread on the subject if I have the time.