Ostomy Seal Break-Down Final Compromise Solution (Ileostomy)
I have finally become convinced that due to my particular abdominal curvature or “belly bulge” around my stoma,
expecting my Eakin Seal to last a full week of 7 days is just not realistic… leakage will usually
occur quite without warning on the 4th or 5th day at most, especially on the right side, despite my switching to
a larger size Eakin hydrocolloid seal and making my own faceplate/wafer out of a flexible plastic type
packing material with pores for better gripping or adhesion to the skin and the addition of a “pressure-
plate cookie that presses down on the seal itself…
The erosion of the seal goes on often undetected until it is too late due to natural fecal acid, diet, digestive
enzymes, pressure stress, body movement, bending, lifting, twisting, reclining on the couch, etc….
But, rather than replacing the whole faceplate/wafer in the middle or end of the week, I found a
compromise solution that will buy you more time, maybe another day or 2…
Clean the area quickly, dry it (the skin and the bottom of the wafer as much as possible), sprinkle
on some skin protecting “Stomahesive” or zinc oxide powder, then add a layer of baby diaper-rash
ointment with zinc oxide all around the stoma-seal area… work fast in case the stoma decides to “exude”!
Then take 2-3 layers of absorbent towel paper, punch a hole in the middle for your stoma, push it down
over the stoma all around, then, reposition the seal with the bag still attached, press down, and quickly
re-attach the ostomy belt on both sides….
Then, place the pressure cookie over the bag and into position over the top of the faceplate/wafer seal… your elastic shorts or “diaper” goes over that, then your pants, tighten your outside belt, and you're done.
The even pressure all around should discourage/prevent any leakage for at least another day or two,
and avoid having to place any more “adhesive” material that can irritate/aggravate the delicate skin even more around
the stoma prematurely.
The pressure alone plus the “tackiness” and skin protective qualities of the zinc oxide powder and
diaper rash cream should protect the area… just be sure to check it frequently, especially after eating,
and use your thumbs to direct any accumulated feces downward into the bag and away
from the seal area all around the stoma.
(The extra faceplate underneath in direct contact with the skin goes under the regular faceplate
wafer and can extend its life for reuse at least several more times… I make mine and the
additional “pressure cookie” that goes on top out of a flexible white packing material that is
porous and looks like Styrofoam, but is very pliable and will not crack when you bend it to
the shape or angle you need for your abdomen.)
This is the best compromise or “work-around” solution I have found for those end-of-week
“surprise emergencies”, given my internal chemical seal erosion, bio-stress, and “belly bulge”
around the stoma itself. (It seems to have been exacerbated by my weight gain as I recovered
from my colon cancer surgery 3 years ago. Otherwise, I seem to be in good health since then
based on blood tests, check-ups, regained body strength, mass & weight, immune function, etc.
I take many supplements, but no prescription drugs whatsoever, and never any chemo at any
time.
A further advantage to this system is that it allows you easy access to check the area for any
leaking feces that comes into contact with the abdominal skin around the stoma before it does
any more damage so that you can quickly clean it, dry it, add some fresh medicated, protective,
absorbent powder or corn starch, diaper rash ointment, and fresh towel or tissue paper before
closing it all up again under pressure, plus save you money on special ostomy seal material
and adhesives that don't hold up very long anyway, and only irritate the sensitive skin more
Otherwise, internal erosion of the seal and seepage of the acidic feces onto the skin often goes
undetected until the feces starts leaking out and/or the skin begins burning again under the
faceplate/wafer where the seal has been eroded away… All this can be avoided on a daily basis
with the frequent draining of the ostomy bag instead of just passively waiting for an “emergency”
leakage and/or acidic damage and inflammation of the skin in a crucial area.
One thing I haven't yet tried is placing the Eakin or other hydrocolloid seal directly over the
abdominal skin around the stoma instead of covering the area with Stomahesive, or other skin
protectant powder first… I was told that this “additive” can prevent the seal from adhering as
well as it should, even with the “belly bulge”…
