The Baggie Club - Your questions answered - May 20

Hello Ian

Hope that you are on the mend.

Best wishes.

Hello

I have a question about convex versus flat pouches.

Is the choice of one over the other purely personal, or are there certain conditions/how the stoma is etc. which mean that one is likely to be a better option than the other?

At the moment I have convex pouches, which I was sent home with. They are fine, except that the 'cup' for want of a better technical word, is hard and is slightly uncomfortable, especially when bending, sleeping on the stoma side etc.

I have requested some samples of flat pouches and will try those out.

My stoma is about 1-2cm 'high'. The abdomen is flat below, and there is still some swelling to the right of the stoma (stoma is on the right of my body), and there is swelling above the stoma still. Just for info, in case this influences pouch choice.

I would also say I am quite small, so that pouch takes up almost the whole of my right side of my abdomen.

Thanks again for your help, knowledge and support.

Best wishes

Convex ostomy systems are beneficial for people who have stoma with uneven shape, unusual size, or other irregularities around the stoma skin area. When the stoma sits below skin level it becomes recessed or retracted which can cause the surrounding skin to be sunken or uneven

This article by Jennie Burch is Head of Gastrointestinal Nurse Education at St Mark’s Hospital, London

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.stomatips.com/features/article/using-convex-stoma-pouches&ved=2ahUKEwjEtoqBj7HpAhXLXhUIHerOBYkQFjACegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw3yJXFvyzla3h7MlgD-VnWK&cshid=1589382843071

To my knowledge you need to be assessed by a stoma care nurse who will review your stoma position and features before a change from flat to convex, I have never heard it mentioned when changing from convex to flat.

Sometimes it takes a while to find a pouch that you're comfortable wearing and having confidence in. Often when you first see a pouch and feel the baseplate hardness and flexibility, also the type of material covering the pouch will be  the deciding points on whether it will work for you and you may never try them on your body.

The size of your stoma would appear to be okay for a flat pouch unless you are experiencing problems with output dropping (pancaking)

One of the features that are important to people is the adhesive properties do you want it impregnated with Aloe Vera or do you have a preference for Manuka Honey both of which have claims to have healing properties.

Hope this help and the article gives you more of an insight, but I do think it is worth looking to other pouches than to the one you are wear, when trying out a new position try not to venture too far from home.

Let me know how you get on and the decision you make.

Ian

CC Stoma Support Group 

Thanks a lot Ian

Very interesting article.

Having read it, I am not sure why I was sent home with convex pouches, and have continued to use convex pouches. They feel bulky, like armour, and as I mentioned make lying on my side and bending awkward and slightly uncomfortable.

The other thing about them is that because there is a 'cup' around the stoma, output can settle there.

I will ask for samples of flat pouches and see where I go from there.

I have (apart from day 2 in hospital) never had a leak.

I think the situation at the moment is not ideal, I was in hospital for a short period of time, op on Monday, home on Friday . . . and because of Covid there are no home visits. I do talk to my stoma nurse (and she's great) but she wasn't the person I had in hospital who sent me home with convex pouches, so my current 'go to' stoma nurse has not seen me in person.

Hopefully I'll be able to try some flat pouches soon.

Thanks again and best wishes.