Dealing with Pancaking in Ostomy Bags: Any Experience with Clearway Stoma Bridges?

I have a problem with pancaking, especially when sitting in the car. Waste stays up at the top of the bag instead of dropping down to the bottom end. This can cause leaks.



Has anyone tried the Clearway Stoma Bridges by Opus Healthcare Limited?



I understand they are blocks of sponge which you fit either side of the top inside of the pouch.

They are meant to keep the front and back covers of the appliance seperated so waste can move down.



Are they new? I hadn't heard of them at all, until a friend mentioned them, though she hasn't used them.



Butterfly

I have the same problem from time to time I wonder if they are avilable in the US.

Hi all... update on the original post I did a few weeks ago re pancaking and Stoma Bridges.



Having obtained some from Opus I put them to the test. It was an ideal time as I had was going away and had a long car journey in front of me plus staying a few nights in a hotel. Both nerve wracking when I am prone to having frequent leaks with my Ileostomy.



The Stoma Bridges are just little squares of foam to place in the bag, one each side of the top opening. It proved quite an art at getting them placed in the best place.



Yes, they do help by pushing apart the front and back of the bag leaving a gap for the waste to drop down between. But they only last for a short time, certainly for me... not the life of the bag which is only 24 hours at best anyway, depending on how flat my stoma goes as it's constantly either protruding quite well or disappearing for a while.

The pieces of foam have a tendency to come unstuck in the bag and drop down proving useless after a short time and I soon discovered they are not flushable when you empty your bag into the loo.

I found the best time to use them was in my night time appliance as I sleep in a sitting position due to other problems (Gastritis) and lack of movement meant they last a little longer.



They seem to be a lot of hassle for just a short time of use but I will use the box up, probably when I next go away as any little thing that helps you with confidence has to be good.

I did manage my whole stay away from home without any major leaks.



Hope this is helpful to you all and would be interested in hearing how others have found this product.

Butterfly

I never heard it referred to as pancaking. I do get it in the car, but it is usually do to my belt that slips below my stoma in the sitting position. I often have to adjust my belt and make sure to move it above  the stoma. This usually does the trick.



Butterfly. I was taken by your comment that you change your appliance once a day. This is unusual if you use a drainable pouch. I can get sometimes up to four days on a single drainbale pouch with a usual exchange after two. Do you use a stomahesive wafer around the adhesive? This helps. Also, you said you have a lot of leakage often. If you use the stomahesive wafer it will minimize the leakage. Also, a couple of things I have learned over 30 years with an ileostomy is when washing around your stoma during a change, never never use a perfumed soap as it will cause a quick leakage. I use ivory soap only. Also, when drying the skin around the stoma after you have washed it never use any sort of paper toweling or toilet paper that is fragranced as it contains oils that affect the bond of the appliance. I hope these suggestions will prove useful.

Hi Butterfly,



I find peppermint oil works well for pancacking, enabling everything to gently glide south lol. If you add a few drops into a new pouch, then gently rub the pouch in the palms of your hands until the insides of the pouch are covered, it will greatly reduce pancacking.



The peppermint oil also helps take the sting out smelly pouch changes, which helps when just nipping to the loo out shopping or something.



A few cautionary notes though, be sure not to get the oil on the wafer, it will ruin the tack and some folks react to peppermint oil on the skin. If your one of those folks, then grape seed base oil, often used in massage and a few mint TicTacs should do the trick.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Mercutio... hi. Thank you for your input into my output! lol



When I say I change my bag every day what I mean is I have to change the flange. As I use a two piece I can often return the same pouch again. This way saving money in not throwing it away all the time and replacing with a new one. I may get them on prescription but I hate wasting money and putting a bigger toll on the environment than necessary.



I never use soap near my stoma and to dry it off properly after I have used Cavilon I use one of those little hand held battery fans you can pick up for a couple of pounds. This slips in my handbag and I find it brilliant. I have read people sometimes use a hairdryer but I've never done that.

My convex flange is helped along with a Combihesive Convex insert and I also wear a hernia belt during the day.

I have had five or six operations on Ileostomies. Including adding mesh, staples and re-siting from right to left. Other health problems don't help.

Things are a lot better than they used to be...I have had so much help from Helen at the ConvaTec helpline and nothing is too much when it comes to help and advice.



When my stoma behaves it's pretty good but it goes flat or disappears at the drop of a hat and that can cause problems.



It was my Stoma nurse that called it the 'pancaking problem' when waste stays at the top of the bag... which takes me to ...



sweede... hi there, how ya' doin' today? Package came today thank you. Well pleased.

Peppermint oil or grapeseed oil must do the same job as Adept lubricating Deodorant. And the tic-tac idea... where and when do people first get these ideas? Ever wondered what people have tried that didn't work? lol



Thanks to both of you... Butterfly