Is the $50 Ostomy Support Belt Worth It?

With the cost of ostomy supplies so high, one has little money left over to purchase 'luxury' items like ostomy support belts, the device that 'helps you discover newfound freedom'. One suspects the prices for these things are so high because the manufacturer hopes that a person's insurance will pick it up, something that fits right along with the other inflated medical product costs.

When my oncologist recently saw me wearing my ostomy support belt, the first thing he said was, "You could have fashioned one of these yourself." My thoughts exactly when I first received the belt. It was nothing more than a cloth wrap with snaps in strategic places to hold the wrap in place. Hardly worth fifty bucks, I thought. Then, when one of the snaps came off, no doubt because of the lack of backing for the snaps within the 'breathable cloth fabric', I realized that for me, this device was not worth it.

I purchased mine from C&M Ostomy Supplies, a company I found online. There is another company selling a similar device that doesn't offer peristomal hernia support. At about the same price, I see no better solution than the one I acquired.

The belt does conceal the appliance well, but so will other things, given a little creativity on your part. If you don't feel like being creative, then this would do, but be careful with the delicate snaps. I will be writing the manufacturer and requesting a more sturdy design, as fifty bucks is a lot to spend for crap.

After writing the company Phoenix Ostomy Supply to tell them about the faulty 'snaps' on their support belt they sent a new one out to me. They also said that 'it happens quite rarely' that the snaps come off. Their support is the kind expected from a legitimate company, and they do all they can to make things right for you.



Peace,

Ken