Hollister Bags: Praise Retracted After Repeat Leaks

So... last week my bag sprung a leak. Not a big deal, but this happened a while back with a bunch of Hollister bags right out of the blue. I've been using them forever without any problems, so things had been good until this bag developed a hole in the exact same place the others had. Luckily, it wasn't a major leak because I wasn't near home when I found it. So, I get home and replace the bag... took 15 seconds. Then I looked at the bag closely to confirm where the leak was originating from... and it was the same place as before... at the corner of the Snap N Lock closure... or whatever they call the Velcro-like strip that you attach the rolled-up end of the bag to. It was just above where the Velcro was heat bonded to the bag. I was on Day 2 with this bag and I now go 4 days between barrier/bag changes... but usually, the bags are in good shape when I change them on Day 5 with no leaks.

Ok, so no big deal... onward we go. Then it happened again a couple of days later... a leak in the same place with another bag. And bad news comes in threes... so it happened one more time another day later on bag #3. So now I'm thinking something is amiss. I had used bags from two different boxes... but as luck would have it, the LOT Number was the same on both boxes. Hmm... sounds like maybe Quality Control took a day off or something. So I call Hollister and the guy on the other end of the phone was super nice and helpful. He shipped me out two new boxes of bags... and they came the NEXT DAY! Holy Cow Turds Batman!!!... how's THAT for service? BIG KUDOS to Hollister!!!

Fast forward to this morning and it's time to change my barrier/bag again. I only had 3 days on my current bag, but figured why push it... and changed it out for a new one from the two boxes Hollister just sent me. I get all done and I grab some breakfast and head out to the barn to let all the critters out. While doing so I notice something drip on my Muck boot. WTF? I pick up my shirt and I see a slight glimmer along the top of the Velcro closure. No way. Can't be. Sure can. Now I had just put this bag on about 20 minutes earlier and had not even opened it to empty it for the first time. So it wasn't anything I'd done. So guess who I'm calling first thing Monday morning?

BIG KUDOS taken back! Guess that makes us even. No wait... I still got leaky bags. I lose.

Might be time to switch product manufacturers.

;O)

I had a leak in the exact same place you describe with one of my Hollister pouches a couple of years back.  I called and they sent me, if I remember correctly, two or three new ones.  Haven't had that happen again.  It sounds like they have a quality control issue that has affected a big batch!

Terry

w30bob... Ah hah and thanks... I test drove 3 Hollister bags several months ago... I was very pleased with the product, but wait, there's more, I had the exact thing happen after 3 tries so gave up and went back to my old standby. So many good comments on here about their products I thought it might be something I was doing wrong like the tuck and roll procedure... although, I feel your citrous pain, I am glad to know it was not a fault of my own, God knows I have enough of them. Thanks for sharing... jb

Geez, what a bummer.  I use Hollister and have never had a problem with a bag, but I don't have the type of closure that you describe.  I just use a standard Hollister clip to close it off with.  

Do you think the leak would be contained if you rolled up the velcro drain section 1 fold, then attached an IGGIE clip?

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You could also put on 2 clips.  One at each end.  Even roll it up 1 more time.  The handles fold down.  I have them up in this photo.

Staying Hydrated with an Ostomy with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Never had an issue with a Hollister bag. 

Hi Choo,

  I can send you some if you'd like.  Then you couldn't say that anymore.  

;O)

So... the saga continues. The new bag I put on this morning (from the 2 new boxes Hollister just sent me) gave up the ghost around 14 hours later. I was out in the barn working on making it fox-proof when I looked down at my bag (since now I keep checking it for leaks every 20 minutes or so), and sure enough... there was one. Same spot. So in I came and replaced it with the clip style bag. I'll just stick to those until Hollister gets this sorted... or I get some supplies from a new manufacturer. I think they should rename their 'Lock N Roll' closure to 'Lock N Leak'. Hmm... maybe I'll send that in as a suggestion!

;O)

No thanks, I’ll just stick to the leak proof ones I get. 👍

You would think a couple of bags from each batch or production run would be tested.  Easy to make a test machine with a flange on it.  Snap on a new bag, fill it with water.  A technician could gently squeeze the bag.  A leak would be easy to see.  Could also leave a bag on overnight.  

I've never had an issue with Hollister products.  My 2 piece system has worked excellently for 18 months.  I have a colostomy, so don't have much liquid output. 

 

Well done, Bob. You are good at detective work! I wouldn't have been able to figure it out, but it is true some bags leak more than others, maybe it is the adhesive used.

Strange, I did have a couple of Hollister bags with a tiny split on the edge of the roll closure; it took me 2 bags to actually figure out why I had s......on my hands.

As I'm only 15 months into this new era of my life, I thought it was me and got quite frustrated with myself.

So it looks like Coloplast isn't the only one having holes in the bags. What in the world are they doing to our product? I know for a fact Coloplast has changed some things. My question is, if you have a product that has been working well, why mess with it or try to change it? I'm sorry, Bob, I know it's frustrating.

Hi Bow,

I think I figured out what's going on... and it won't be easily corrected by Hollister anytime soon. Look at the pic attached and you can see where the blowout/tear in the plastic is occurring in the red-circled area. That part of the bag is pretty high up from the bottom, so cleaning it with a piece of toilet paper or something is very difficult. And if your output is liquid like mine, there will be some residual output in that area when you roll up the bag and secure the locking strip. Any liquid still in that area when you squeeze the locking strip has to go somewhere. Being 'trapped' in that area might be what's blowing out that corner of the plastic, which is very thin in that area to begin with. I also noticed that if you secure the locking strip making it taut, the weight of the bag and contents tend to pull on that corner where the leak is occurring. The only solution I can see is to make the plastic in that part of the bag thicker... which won't be easy when making bags out of sheet plastic. Might just be time to switch suppliers. If you have solid output that slides completely past this section of the bag, you might never see this problem. Fun, fun, fun!

;O)

 

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I use Hollister and have never had a leakage; however, many of mine have a problem with the closure. It resembles a Velcro closure, and it's the part that the little protruding things go into that comes unglued. I glue them back on with super glue, and I always use the Iggy clip at all times.

Super, Lieutenant Columbo would be proud of you.

Wondering if these lock-n-leak bags could be salvaged (no ordering new ones until fixed) by adding the old clip style just up from where the Velcro is located? I don't use them and have forgotten the configuration... It would be more bulk and just another dealer add-on, but faulty bags not waste-wasted... and might be suitable enough for outfoxing a fox... or fox-foxing 😬. The Iggie clip has been suggested too and probably doable, but for me, less is more, and I hate any add-ons...

I would hate to wear anything more that's going to look like you have something in your underwear. I don't know how to phrase that, but maybe because I'm a female, I don't want anything to look bulkier than it does.

Coloplast didn't start out having holes just in the past year; I can tell for a fact that they changed the plastic. It was nice and thick, and now, not so much. Hey, that's a smart way to fix that issue.

Hi JB,

Not easily. They get too wide to use the plastic clip from Hollister. The IggieClip (he should patent that) might work, but when you roll it up that far, you start to lose bag capacity. I'm sure Hollister is aware of their design mistake... whether they're working to fix it or not is anyone's guess. Of course, if people don't speak up when they have a problem... it won't be Hollister's fault for not fixing something they don't know about. Seems it's always something... being an ostomate!

;O)

My stoma sticks out... a lot.  Folding up the velcro drain 1 time, then clipping it is not noticeable at all.  But the golf ball sized lump under my shirt... that ya can't miss.