Can You Use a Colostomy Pouch for a Urostomy?

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goddi11891
Mar 29, 2021 3:15 am

Greetings,

The large plastic tap on my urostomy pouchs drives me a bit crazy. They poke through my pants, espcially when the pouch if filling.

To avoid that effect, can a drainable colostomy pouch be used for urostomies...will they hold urine just as well? If so, can you get they without a vent?

Thanks...

Bill
Mar 29, 2021 6:16 pm

Hello goddii11891.
As you have not yet received any replies to your post yet, I thought I would give it a go!
I do not think that most of the colostomy pouches would be suitable for this purpose as they would probably leak. I don’t know much about the pouches for ileostomies so, someone else needs to chip in on this one.
However, many years ago, I used to have a couple of ‘clients’ who had urostomies and the pouches had a long tube running all the way to their shoes. (loosely secured to their lower leg with an ankle -strap and a strip of Velcro). The tap was on the end of that tube and, they (or I) would empty it from there. This was quite a simple and effective procedure and the tap was not viewed as having the same problems as it might if it was in their pants. One guy used to wait for me to arrive each morning so that I could help him. He simply lifted his leg onto the toilet bowl and we emptied the pouch from there. (he could not bend down that far to access the tap without falling over- as he needed to use both hands to hold himself upright -- which is why he appreciated the assistance.
I don’t know if this information is helpful, or if those same devices are still available. ( I did have something similar after one of my operations in hospital. This did seem to me like a pretty reasonable solution to mechanical problem. I think it would be easy to make such a device if they are not available through the normal channels.
Best wishes
Bill

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Puppyluv56
Mar 31, 2021 12:44 am

Well, good question. Why don't you call each of the supply companies and request a few drainable pouches and just try when you know you are going to be home and have a few days to evaluate it. You never know until you try. I would think you would need to empty it often due to size. The pouch is able to withstand the acidic output so why not urine. I would think a two piece drainable pouch system would work better than a one piece. 
I used a pouch for a drainage tube that was put there after surgery of cancerous lymph node removal. That bulb and long tube drove me crazy and was very painful because it would alway pull and tug on the stitching of the tube into my leg. And don't drop that bulb! OMG painful! So, I cut the bulb off and cut the tubing to only a couple of inches to go down in a pouch. It worked very well! As the drainage became no more than a nuisance, I switch to a cap on the two piece barrier. It was enough to catch to small amount of drainage. My surgeon was amazed. 
You just may find the answer to your problem and maybe others will take a chance to modify things for their needs! 
Let us know what happens if you try! You have nothing to lose. 
Puppyluv