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Your guide to ostomy products

Hear from Sarah our Clinical Advisor

From A Bigger Life

Whenever you’re looking after your stoma, all you need is a good pouch that sticks on well. However, there are instances whenever people do need to use some accessories. We thought it would be a good idea to share some of the most common accessories people use.

Seal

If you have a stoma that causes leakages, developing sore skin on a regular basis or have uneven skin around the stoma, a seal or a washer works really well. The idea is that you stretch it out to the shape and size of your a stoma, put it around the stoma, down onto the peristomal skin and then you attached your pouch over on top of the seal.

It really helps to heal and protect your sore peristomal skin and prevents other problems developing as well. A seal works well as a preventative as well as a protector.

Paste

Paste would be used if you have a dip or a crease that needs to be filled in and to even out uneven skin contours. It works really well to help ensure that your pouch is adhered securely.

Adhesive Remover Spray

Something that is common in patient groups would be adhesive remover spray. This breaks the seal between the pouch and the skin and allows you to remove your pouch without any trauma at all.

Another common accessory people will use is the adhesive remover wipe. The wipes work very similar to the remover spray in that it breaks the seal between your pouch and your skin. It’s also useful when you are travelling when you don’t want to bring too many cans with you, they can easily go into your hand luggage.

Solidify Agents

Another accessory which can be used in some instances, definitely not for everybody who has a stoma, but if you are undertaking exercise or physical activity, or perhaps you are going into a meeting and you don’t think you’ll have time to empty your pouch, these things are called solidify agents.

You put one into your pouch and it causes the output in your pouch to become a jelly like substance. Therefore, it reduces the need for you to empty it, it reduces output from sloshing around and it makes your stoma management a little bit more manageable in extreme circumstances.

Stoma cap

A stoma cap is useful for people who have a colostomy or a fistula. You cut it out the same as you would do with your stoma pouch and you stick it on using the adhesive. The idea is that it gives you a little bit more discretion especially in intimate moments if you have a colostomy and you don’t want to have a bag on.

If you are someone who has a fistula and it doesn’t produce a lot but it needs to be covered, the stoma cap works really well in this instance.

Flanges Extenders

Flange extenders within the last couple of years are a recent development, also known as half moons or banana shapes, but the idea behind them is that it improves and increase the security around your pouch and onto your skin.

They are useful if you have a peristomal hernia and you need an extra width to your adhesive to ensure that your pouch is well secured. It’s also useful if you are undertaking any physical activities, exercises or sports, it just gives you that extra level of security to the outside of your pouch.

Support belt

Whenever you have a stoma formed you are more at risk at developing peristomal hernia. There’s been a lot of research into the prevention of peristomal hernias, there should be no heavy lifting after 6-8 weeks of surgery. When you are undertaking exercise or heavy lifting or depending on what your work is, then you are recommended to wear a support belt helping to protect the abdominal muscles.

There are lots of companies that create stoma pouches and accessories which work along side them. It depends on what product you use, what your comfortable with and what is available in your country. The products we discussed is a representative of what most ostomy manufactures offer.