Pancaking

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Hi, I'm now 4 weeks post operation (permanent colostomy and barbie bum) and my recovery is going well. I'm getting used to the stoma and changing the bag, however in the last week I've had several incidents with pancaking and the bag partially coming off because of it. I mentioned it at my last review with the stoma nurse and she suggested putting ky jelly in the bag plus a little scrunched up toilet roll to keep the air in the bag, as well as covering the filter. I am doing all this but it's still happening. Often the air still escapes. Fortunately my stoma is mainly active in the evening after my evening meal so I'm usually at home watching telly.

This only happened once in the first few weeks so unsure why it's happening so frequently now. I will give the stoma nurse a ring next week if it persists, but I wanted to ask if there are other tricks that I can try that worked for you? 

  • Hi  and welcome to our group.

    I’m glad to hear that your recovery is going well-I also have a permanent colostomy but no barbie butt as I had a different type of surgery. Your stoma will still be healing and settling down in these early days, so please don’t be disheartened. Are you sure your bag is being re measured regularly to ensure a snug fit? 

    I’ve had my stomas for almost 5 years and still do get pancaking, but others don’t. I choose to use a very small and neat bag as I prefer it, but for me the trade off is pancaking on occasion and the bag being pushed off.

    The stoma nurse has given the usual standard advice to you-most of us would probably suggest something which helps output to slip into the bag-maybe some baby oil? You just need to be careful not to get oil on the seal round the bag or it won’t stick. 

    Different types of bags might help, and around my urostomy bag, I  also use strips which go around the base plate to ensure everything sticks extra well-you can also use these around colostomy bags and they are called Brava Elastic Strips which are made by Coloplast. I get them on my prescription as I was having issues with urostomy leaks and they are excellent for reassurance. 

    I hope some others will come along and give their hints and tips and good luck with your continuing recovery!

    Sarah xx


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  • Thanks Sarah. I'm finding that the key jelly works IF the stoma is active a couple of hours after a bag change. However, if I have changed the bag in the evening and the stoma is not active until the afternoon the following day, all the lubrication have slid down to the bottom and the air is gone, even with the filter covered. Will perhaps try the baby oil and see if that works better. 

    My stoma has shrunk a little so perhaps that is a factor - worth checking, though I have a month's supply of bags already cut to size to use up!

    I did get some strips (about 10) in my first order so I will try them and see if that helps too.

    Thank you for your suggestions! Blush 

  • The size of the hole is critical to how the bag will work for you-was it recommended that your bags be pre cut? For a long time after my surgery I cut my own, and the size changed fairly often, but after all these years I do have precut bags now because it’s been a long time since anything changed for me.  

    If the pancaking becomes a big issue for you, I’d make sure the template is correctly measuring the hole size and then order new supplies if you can-I’d not order pre cut at this point in case there are still changes, but just get the bags and cut them yourself. 

    I love the strips, so hope you might find them helpful too. 


    Sarah xx


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  • I had the same problems with pancaking. This is what has helped me;

    1) watch what you eat... make sure to get enough fiber and stay hydrated. 

    2) I use cooking spray inside the bag and some vasoline near the opening. Vasoline tends to "stay" better and not all end up in the bottom of the bag. 

    3) I noticed my stoma tends to retract and move into my body just as it starts spewing output. This was causing output to get under my wafer. We switched to a convex wafer which helped a lot. 

    4) i use a 2-piece appliance so when I feel it start to stick and not fall into the bag, I will remove the bag and clean the wafer and stoma with water and toilet paper. Much easier than replacing the whole thing. 

    At 4 weeks, my stoma size was still changing, so your precut bags may be too large. You might try barrier rings which are like putty and can be molded right up to your stoma. I have a small gap between my stoma and the hole because I'm a bit more oval shaped and the hole is round. The barrier ring fills the gap and prevents leaks. 

    Good luck! I hope this helps. 

    As an aside, I use the wadded up toilet paper in my bag too. I've never had much luck keeping air in the bag but I keep trying! I've only had my ostomy about 5 months so maybe someone more experienced would know why. 

  • Hi Susan,

    Thanks for that, a few things for me to try there. I know it takes time to find the right products and for things to settle down so I'm not too disheartened. My stoma nurses are great but stoma users can have other tips too, so I find these forums very valuable.

  • There's definitely some "insider" knowledge that only an other ostomate will know. I also had wonderful stoma nurses but learned so much from online forums. Not to mention, it is sometimes easier to ask other ostomates than to call the nurse with every little thing. 

  • Hi The plant fairy,I’ve got a urostomy and in the first few weeks the stoma did shrink down a lot.I had to keep measuring it to ensure the bag holes were cut the right size to prevent leaks.Hopefully you have got some good tips to help with your pancaking problem.Love Jane 

  • Hello The plant fairy,

    I find that pancaking occurs at night and is subject to the force of gravity. Not really a problem because I treat the convex, drainable pouch like a tube of toothpaste and just gently squeeze the contents out. Since using the Brava Elastic Strips I have never experienced a leak, although the flange on the pouch has failed several times in three years the strips are 100% effective as a second watertight seal. Highly recommended.

    Also, don't use soaps or moisturisers, etc. on the skin where the pouch is to be stuck. From Day 1 my stoma nurse told me to use plain water to clean and refresh the area. From there I use a dry wipe to dry the skin, then wipe with a Salts wet wipe (which dries very quickly) then apply a Fusion stick which primes the skin and acts as a barrier against irritation. I cut my own aperture in the pouch to suit the profile of my ileostomy and always run my thumb around the rim of the aperture to encourage the cut edge to be in full contact with my skin. It works OK and is now a standard routine for me. Once the pouch is fully adhered then apply the Brava strips. Just been on a 4 hour flight in a cramped aircraft seat without incident.

    Dulac

  • Hi  

    Hope you had a good trip! I’ve also done many flights and never had an issue with my bags on the plane. 

    I know we are both strong advocates for the Brava strips and the Fusion applicators-they make such a difference.

    Sarah xx


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  • Thanks for that, more things for me to try. I appreciate all your tips