I've been using Convatec products for nearly 27 years now, and I've seen a decline in the quality of the pouches.
I use 413161 wafers and 401512 pouches. Just this year, I've begun to suffer leaks in the pouches in the tail right where the clip hinges, that is, the left side of the pouch. I noticed that this "new" collection of pouches doesn't seem to be sealed properly. That is, up until this year, the pouches that I used all seemed to be stamped closed on the edges with a prominent "ridge" that seals them tightly. The "new" pouches are flat, no ridgeline, almost as if they missed the final stamping sealing at the end of the production process. (In the picture, the “old” pouch is the one on top, clearly sealed with ridges, and the bottom one is the “new” pouch with a plain flat seal.) At any rate, the “new” pouches break open and leak on the left side at the clip hinge. They don't tear, just break open through the quasi-seal. I've contacted Convatec and spoken with several very understanding and concerned nurses who say that they know of no new design of the pouches, send me replacements, but the replacements have been the same unstamped, ridge-less pouches that simply break open after a day or two of use. Right now, I've agreed to send a box of new pouches back to them, with the breakage spots inked out so that they can send them to quality control to get a determination. (I would think that they would know if the pouches had been redesigned, but I get little response to that question. They say that they don't know, that they haven't been informed.) So I'll send the box of pouches to them when I receive the mailer. Until then, I've been trying out Hollister and Coloplast products just in case I need to switch brands. (So far, Hollister has the longest wear time and is the most comfortable.) Questions: have any of you noticed a difference in the way that your pouches have been sealed? Have any of you tried Hollister and Coloplast? Which one seems to suit you better and why? (And yes, btw, I've tried several different clips, and no, I don't clip them above the curve.)
