Sleeve life

[Rasputin]

Been irrigating with Hollister sleeves for 7 months now, on sleeve number two. Failure occurs with the bread wrapper like thingies that hold the top closed - they fatigue and break in two. Anyone try a binder clip or such on the top of the sleeve? It's in good shape except for the wire things that close the top.

FWIW, I finished XELOX (W00T!) and have been getting good irrigation results.

-Chuck

[Lisa]

Congrats on finishing chemo and your good irrigation results! That's great news!
I use convatec sleeves, they have a zip lock closure. I haven't tried the Hollister but I would think a binder clip would work.

Lisa

[Don60]

Try a couple of long hair clips, one from each side, below the level of the opening.

[steiconi]

I think the binder clip would work well if you can fold the bag top down then clip.

[ot dave]

I use the Hollister sleeves too. Mine usually fail around the plastic flange before the closure breaks, but on those instances where they last that long, I just throw away the sleeve and start on the next one.....it's usually time for a new sleeve by then anyway!

[M-A]

I have been using Coloplast sleeves and I am using clothespins to keep my top portion of the sleeve closed.

[darick]

I tend to get about six months out of a sleeve unless it dies early. I posted previously on here once when I had to swap for a new one and released I had none left, that was a fun day.

[Diane C]

This is a very belated comment. Apologies! The only reason I stick with Convatec is because of the irrigation sleeve closure and durability of the sleeve. I also found that Hollister's would rip around the plastic flange part. I have written to the other companies' R&D departments but it's pretty obvious that those companies are not about to change the closure of their irrigation sleeves. Sure wish they would.

Rasputin, did you find that the clips did the trick on the sleeve? Hope so! You asked about this a long time ago!

Diane C
2000 MACE procedure for constipation/pelvic floor syndrome
2002 Colostomy
2016 Colostomy Revision

[Rasputin]

Since I get 5 sleeves a month through Medicare, I just use a new one often.

[markstan]

Your initial post seemed to indicate that you used a sleeve for seven months before the clip failed. If that is true there is no need to use things like chip clips. Just throw the sleeve away and use a new one. I use Hollister sleeves as well. On rare occasions I have had a failure between the flange and sleeve. That is a catastrophic failure. That is the danger of using a sleeve for too long.

[Diane C]

I know this thread is old but am commenting anyway. I continue to use Convatec 2-piece products because of the sturdy irrigation sleeve. I would like to switch to Hollister wafers because of their filters. However, Convatec sleeves do not rip near the stoma opening and the top stays shut. Have you all contacted Hollister, Coloplast and other companies? I used to do this and ran out of patience. One lone voice or comment won't mean much. I realize that R&D means using up scarce resources and maybe the number of irrigators out there isn't huge. But I find it ludicrous that other companies are still using irrigation sleeves that don't close well or that rip easily and some of you are using paper clips, hair clips and other materials to make the sleeves work when we deserve GOOD products that we don't have to tinker with. Just a prod here to remind you that the noisy wheel sometimes has an effect. Let the manufacturers you use know that the irrigation sleeves can be improved -- please! If you haven't contacted your manufacturer in the last year and have the same issues, how about letting them know before fall 2016?

Thank you!

Diane C

2000 MACE for chronic constipation/pelvic floor syndrome
2002 Colostomy
2016 Stoma Revision -- due to peristomal hernia symptoms