Any ideas appreciated...

Hi all,
I'm kind of about the be at my wit's end...my stoma is about an inch long. I shouldn't need convexity (according to all my stoma nurses), but without it I always get leaks. They originate from the right side of my stoma where I have a VERY slight divot, like seriously its so small you would NOT think it would be a problem. All of the stoma nurses are surprised when I say it's a problem.

So I've been wearing convex for a few years now. (Hollister) now suddenly I'm getting the same leaks EVEN WITH CONVEXITY!!! I've tried convatec moldables as well, but they leak the same. I usually use brava rings under the wafer. I'm running out of options and have visions of myself tied to my house for eternity, which is terrifying...that's why I had surgery in the first place!

Any ideas?? I've tried just about everything I can think of.

80's chick. Our stomas must look the exact same. I too wear convexity and have a small divot on my right side. I never had a problem and I have been using adapt rings. In the last few months when I take the wafer off there is a little ring of stool around there.
I was at the hollister ostomy day celebration and they had convex rings. They are sending me some samples so maybe with the convex rings and convex wafer it might work.

I was switched to convexity because my belly was soft.... I still was pretty thin at the time, and my stoma is plenty long. Solved my leaking problems. Hard to see that 5 lbs would make a huge difference though...

Have you had a stoma nurse look at it?

hope you can figure something out.

Stephanie

Does the poo leak out of the divot next to the stoma as in mucocutaneous separation, or does it leak out of the poo that goes into the bag from the stoma.

I have a tiny divot next to my 3rd (new stoma) and am trying to get it healed. I still cannot pass solids well. I am really scared. One month post op. Tons of scar tissue had to be taken down.

Sorry I have no suggestions this would be a nightmare. Hope you get some answers. I just had the divot question. Mine is very tiny and hope to god it will heal. Good luck. Rosemary

Do you use paste around the opening of your pouch?

I was just going to suggest the same things. Try a different level of convexity. Coloplast sensura has light convexity. Coloplast assura has deeper convexity. Also you could try a different seal. I think you said you are using brava rings. You could try eakin regulars or slims, or my preference is hollister adapts . Maybe when you apply the seal.. stick it to the wafer instead of your skin. So plug the divet with the playdough idea... just a very little bit and smash it nice and small to where it ends after the divet. Don't leave it thick all the way. hope that makes sense.

Then put the seal directly onto the wafer. Then smack that entire thing onto your skin. Do all of this standing up nice and straight. Heat it with a blow dryer standing up. And do not move around or bend for maybe half an hour.. See... even to get into lying down position.. you are bending. So stay in the same position as when you are putting it all on.
good luck.

I lie on the bed so everything is flat and I am very "anal" about heat & pressure during my application. I use my hairdryer to warm both my Eakin & my wafer right before placing them--separately. I then alternate heat & pressure over all for 3 mins or so once the wafer is on. I am very careful to shield my stoma from the heat with the cap from a can of mousse [courtesy of Another UC Wife]. Sure Seals go on at the end of my set-up. The heat & pressure step may add 3-5 mins to change time, but it is worth it to me to get a good solid application.

I switched to a whole Eakin, Convatec Convex Moldable [applied diamond-shaped], Sure Seals and my heat & pressure routine all at the same time and something finally clicked and saved my sanity. I am now consistently getting 7-10 days wear, up from only 2-hrs to 2-days wear. Some discourage the use of stoma powder and barrier preps, but I use both and it has never presented a problem.

There is one other thing I do during my heat & pressure step to help solidly set the Eakin & wafer. There is a product available for quite a bit of money, but there are alternatives to the concept. It is the Equalizer by Stomaplex--nothing more than a piece of rubber tubing. You can see how it works and there are a couple of videos within this first link below. I went to Lowe's and bought a foot of rubber tubing and my son cut me off a 2-inch piece--works perfectly. The other 3 links are products I found for next to nothing in the PVC plumbing department at Home Depot & Lowe's. They can be purchased in different sizes depending on stoma size and flange size. All the same concept--even and steady pressure on the wafer around the stoma where it may be hard to get fingers into. Even the top of a correctly sized empty bottle would work.

http://shop.stomaplex.com/stomaplex-the-equalizer/