Let's talk about barrier sheets

So I had never even heard of barrier sheets until someone posted something about them in another thread. From my understanding they soak up output and help keep the skin dry as well? Would I use it in place of a barrier ring or still use both? Are brava sheets the only brand available - they're all I'm seeing when I google?

Any and all info, explanations of use/application, or opinions and reviews would be helpful and appreciated.

Thanks for the info.

So you just attach to skin, and then put the wafer over it like normal? And it prevents leaks really well?

The issue I'm having is my stoma has shrunk and retracted so much the cut where the output comes out is pretty much right at skin level now so that one little area of skin is getting pretty beat up still (the rest has all healed nicely). It's gotten so small that the tiny holes already in the barrier rings are too big and leave too much exposed and it's nearly impossible to fit it without cutting an re-rolling the ring which makes me nervous.

My takedown is in three weeks, I was really hoping not to have to do any reorders or set-up changes but I also don't feel like dealing with this skin anymore and changing wafers every two to three days. Maybe I'll just order some samples and see how long they get me. Thanks again! And good luck with your surgery!

With this loop Ileo my output is almost all liquid and very high volume; I haven't had any leakages with the barrier sheets.

Are you using the Convexity base-plates/waffers? I have to use the convex waffers for my setup otherwise they will eventually leak plus the ostomy nurse told me that I needed the extra support for my stoma. When I first got the loop I was using the flat base-plates/Waffers and I'd get leaks from the high-liquid output. I ended up back in the hospital because of an Obstruction/Blockage and the Ostomy Nurse noticed that my skin was in really bad shape; she changed my setup to the barrier sheets, convex base-plates, high-output bag and the brava protective strips. I haven't had any problems in almost 3 months and my skin is in great shape now.

Changing wafers every 2-3 days is hardly a massive deal. I change my bag once every 2 days.

Can't imagine going through hoops to change my setup when I just had 3 weeks to wait. I've had to deal with a dodgy area of skin for a year, and probably will go on dealing with that same small dodgy patch for many years to come. Just have learnt to live with it, because nothing I've tried to heal it has worked and it's not getting any worse.

Post Edited (NiceCupOfTea) : 6/24/2014 6:05:28 PM (GMT-6)

Running out of supplies is different: should've said... >.>

Can your stoma nurse give you a few extra bags or do you have to go through your insurance company?

Meanwhile I might try out these sheets myself, if I can get hold of them. Maybe that's the key to healing the dodgy patch of skin; thanks dude :p

Not sure about other brands - haven't really looked into it.

I, too, just had an awful experience with these brava ones. My samples came Tuesday, I used one on Thursday with my change. Everything seemed to fit and seal nicely. Sometimes with the rings I feel like there is a solid piece of plastic there or something once they adhere and puff up but the sheet felt like nothing was even there.

Everything was fine Thursday. Then Friday night after dinner I started feeling like there was air or moisture under the wafer with my output. There wasn't any burning or itching though(as I've said before my skin is pretty raw right along the side where my output comes out with the loop ileo) so I just thought I was being paranoid. I did a few tugs on the wafer, everything seemed adhered to the skin. No big deal.

Fast forward to tonight (Saturday), I woke up from a nap and noticed there was some liquid around the ring part of my wafer (I use hollister so it was starting to seep into the band aid type adhesive they have around the actual wafer part). Again there was no burning or itching or any other tell tale sign that stuff was getting underneath.

So I got up to do a change and when I removed the wafer the ENTIRE PLATE underneath was COVERED in output. There was stool on my skin the entire 2 3/4 inches around or whatever size the wafers are to the extra outside adhesives. The larger area near my output area that'd been giving me problems (which had been starting to heal) is entirely red again. Not only that but all around my stoma was bleeding. Not just the spotting kind of bleeding where I could dab at it until it stopped, but actual full on bleeding.

And I should also point out that my output has been pretty thick the past few days, not the typical watery loop output.

Needless to say I didn't use another one and just went back to using a barrier ring.

Can't you put the Eakin rings over the barrier sheet? That's what I was thinking of trying.

There's a constant sore patch right underneath my stoma. I was hoping I could cut the Brava sheets down to size to go over the sore patch, and that would fix the problem. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but judging by the responses in this thread, it doesn't seem very likely it will work... :-/

I ordered samples of barrier sheets from other manufacturers - one from Hollister and two kinds from Convatec. The Convatec ones are supposed to arrive today, so I'll try one with my appliance change tomorrow.

I've been told by my wound nurse that my skin holds products really well; tape, ostomy products, etc... they are hard to remove off of my body.

The only time that I had a problem with the brava barrier sheets was when my loop started spewing stool during a change and I cleaned it up, then I used the powder and skin prep (which were not normal for me). I didn't do a good job getting all the powder off and the next day it started leaking. Other than that I never really had an issue with the sheets.

Like with all Ostomy products, they work great for some people and others not so much but you won't know unless you try them. The sheets really improved my skin once I started using them.

Can I use a convex wafer//pouch with a barrier sheet? This combo seems way better than using a flat wafer, as I've had 2 other nurses tell me convex wafers are more supportive. I was just introduced to these sheets by my Ostomy nurse because my skin is very red and irritated. We changed my pouch and put one on for the first time yesterday...she used a pouch with a flat wafer, where before I've only used Convex wafers. I've already noticed the stoma is now flush to almost underneath the hole of the wafer and I'm very worried about a potential leak. I can't imagine this set-up is going to last, but I'm not used to using flat wafers or barrier sheets.