Hollister 2-Piece System: Bag Detaching from Wafer - Need Advice

Ok, this is bugging me enough to ask on here. I use a Hollister 2-piece, and lately, the bag has been coming detached from the wafer. I am wondering what boneheaded thing I am doing to have this happen. It happened two nights ago when I woke in the morning; the bag was off the wafer but still close to it because I do wear the belt that attaches to the bag. But it was off the wafer enough to leak on my shirt and on my bedding. I didn't even know the bag was off the wafer until I got up and went to do my morning empty of the bag. I thought if you wear the belt, the bag pretty much can't come off the wafer. It happened another time when I was emptying the bag; it just popped off the wafer. So what do you guys think the problem is? I would say I pulled too hard on the bag when emptying it, but that doesn't explain the overnight one. I don't pull on my bag in my sleep! And I am really sure that when I change the bag, the bag is fully on the wafer all around it. So it's not that it was off from then. I am just frustrated and wondering what is making this happen.

Lee

I seldom wear a belt. But when I do, I always remove it at night. If you do any tossing and turning at night, that is going to put stress on the belt and, subsequently, the flange connection. That could have something to do with your issues. Or you are just not clicking it all the way around (assuming you use the click connector). I had the flange connection come loose once. I stopped wearing the belt at night and I haven't had another occurrence. I also do not wear a belt when I am lounging in my recliner. Movement in the chair tends to put stress on the flange and the wafer. If I get tingles around the ileum while sitting, it is a sure sign I am wearing a belt.

Daniel

Twice my two-piece fell off while emptying... the bag, not the flange. This is the Mio Flip Click. Octopus starfish design in Warrior terms. 😊

Apparently, I thought it was clicked on, but the snap ring wasn't. It becomes undone sometimes, but the click connection from the bag to the flange amazes me with how strong it is. 💪

Sometimes the snap ring freewheels, and I don't know how that happens, but when you are emptying, kneading the bag with thumbs, squeezing your shirt out, boom! That forward pressure is enough to throw that bag off. You don't even realize it.

You are creating the pop-off, believe it or not. Of course, this is from an unlocked snap ring, provided you got the first snap seal connection on properly.

My belt attaches to the flange, not the bag. Wear it 24-7 and sleep with it.

Two reasons: prevents leaks and holds back hernia bump. I sleep on my back or left side. The belt might unhook one hook of the two. No issues, though.

For me, this works. Seven years, no issues. Like American Express... don't leave home or sleep without it. 😆

I have a colostomy and use Hollister 2-piece. I've never had the bag separate from the wafer. I really snap the bag flange firmly to the wafer flange. I also use a handheld mirror to look at the bottom of my stoma to ensure the bag is snapped in properly.

I wear a Hollister thin belt at all times, even while sleeping.

I've had several episodes of "poop bomb" bags while stuck in traffic for 2 hours coming home from work. I refuse to pull over in Los Angeles County... lawless wasteland. Fortunately, my trusty Hollister bag remained intact until my beat-up Honda Civic crept over the Orange County line.

Hello Lee.
I don't use Hollister but the Coloplast 2 piece system. 

I am usually very careful to make sure the bag is fixed to the wafer before I close the sealing ring. However, once or twice I have 'believed' that it was on, only to find that the bottom part of the bag had not been fully engaged with the wafer before I engaged the sealing ring. The problem being, that I cannot see the bottom of the bag so I am 'feeling it blind'. Thus, by the time I've worked my way round the edges to the top, the bottom part has come slightly adrift.
There is just enough flexibility in the rings to allow them to be fastened without being in the correct position. Unfortunately, if the bag is subsequently worn like this for any length of time, the rings get slightly distorted and are more likely to do the same thing on subsequent attempts. 
Sometimes I think the problem might lie in the fact that the plastic is 'dry' and a little resistant to being pressed together. In the plumbing trade, the answer to this is to put a small amount of washing up liquid on the joints , which allows for easier connection, but does not interfere with the efficacy of the joint.

Just a thought!
Best wishes

Bill 

G'day Lee, I use Hollister 2-piece and you have to hear that click all the way around or it's not secure. Also, if you wear a belt and have it too tight, it pulls on the bag and makes it leak. Have a look where the tabs are and you can see if it's pulling on the flange of the bag. Regards, IGGIE

I'll try loosening the belt and see if that ends the issue. I don't want to make it too loose, though, or it won't do its job then either. I know about hearing the snap to make sure it is fully connected to the wafer. My former ostomy nurse taught me that. She also taught me to use a mirror to be able to see all the way around the wafer to make sure that the bag is on all the way. Thanks for the advice about the belt. I never really thought I was wearing it too tight, but maybe I am.

It is hard to see the bottom and know that the bag is fully on the wafer, but I use a mirror to see under there and make sure that the bag is on. I guess it could slip off maybe. I will be sure to be extra careful about that in the future. I usually double or triple check all the way around when I put on the new bag.

Yeah, I use a mirror to see that the bag is completely on the wafer when I change. I wear a belt the whole time too, even when sleeping. But as someone else suggested, maybe I am wearing it too tightly. So I am going to loosen it a little and see what that does.

 

On the Hollister 2-piece, the belt connects to the bag, not the wafer, so maybe it is different because you use a different system. I guess what I am learning is that I need to be extra careful to make sure that the bag is definitely on the wafer and loosen the belt a little bit.

Every time I have gone without a belt, it has resulted in a leak. So I wear the belt all the time now. I can see what you are saying about if you toss and turn in the night. However, I barely move in my sleep since I started taking Belsomra. I sleep on my back most of the time now. I used to sleep on my side. I don't have a lot of problems with my 2-piece system, but when I do, I always wonder what I am doing wrong or what I could do better. I hate leaks. They are very upsetting to me whenever they happen. I am not sure why they impact me the way they do. I mean, clean up and move on... right? But I just can't seem to move on.

Well, sleeping flat on your back with an ileostomy would be asking for leaks, in my opinion. But not at the flange connection, I would think. But if you have a lot of output at night, maybe there too. Dunno. :-)

Daniel

I usually have about 500cc output overnight. Most of the time I don't have leaks. It's just that when I do, I find it upsetting. Mostly, the problem I have at night is with air in the bag and the bag about to burst with air. I think the filter gets clogged because mine never seems to work.

 

Yeah. The filters are generally useless. Gas at night is common, yes? I think it's mostly because of not eating. With an ileostomy especially, we are damned if we do and damned if we don't. Eat, that is. When you are sleeping, you are not eating and that gives gas a chance to accumulate all by itself. For me, nighttime gas is worse the nights before a bag change, as I stop any food intake at least 4 hours before going to sleep. Because of my age and my arthritis, I awaken at least twice in the night and use that time to empty/burp my bag. It is the way of things. It's just a bit different way than it was pre-ileostomy. :-)

But, I would still hazard a guess that at least some of your nighttime leaks are from pancaking due to sleeping on your back.

Daniel

Daniel

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