Applying a wafer successfully tips

[Shamrock4806]

There is an important thing I've learned, otosmy products are designed to work with one another and on good skin. Skin with a natural lubrication balance that alcohol, soap, lotions, ointments etc. interfere with.

To keep the skin lubrication balance normal, only wash with water and a soft washcloth. Use adhesive remover to get off the remains and wash with water only again.

However if one used soap or alcohol around the stoma or wafer area that may dry out the skin and although everything sticks, later on an annoying itching pain occurs which one thinks they have a leak, but it's actually very dry skin. Some even report chapped skin and bleeding.

So to moisturize the skin when the wafer is off and one is in the shower, rub in some hair conditioner and then wash off with moisturizer soap like Dove. However only do this to return the skin back to its natural state, dont do everytime or adhesives won't stick. The problem is over moisturizing the skin.

Adhesive needs clean, dry, oily and dust free skin with a natural lubrication balance (or on otosmy approved skin protectant the same way) to successfully bond too. Plus it needs some time to set better before otosmy output comes into contact with it. The more time the better.

Now with wounds caused by leaks that won't dry and feel damp to the touch, stoma powder is used first with a very light dusting and dry brushed off well. If anything flakes off it will flake off later when the adhesive is there and leak..Damp wipe off any powder on healthy skin because it's an drying agent and may itch there. Dry well as always.

Spray skin protectant is used under the entire wafer area to lock the stoma powder (if needed) and to protect the skin area from leaked output for awhile. Instead of burning it itches more letting you know you have a problem.

Now a trick can be used if one has an fungal infection under the wafer, it's an itch that you want to stick something in there to scratch it, just like athletes foot. So instead of stoma powder, one uses antifungal foot powder instead and that usually clears up the problem.


So the normal cycle is as follows:

Remove wafer using spray adhesive remover on the crack between the wafer and skin and peeling off.

If any thick paste remains, sideways scrape off using a flat plastic or stick, them wipe off on toilet paper

Wash area with water only using a wash cloth to get more adhesive off.

Dry the area some and use adhesive spray remover to get the last film (may be invisible) off and wash with water again.

Dry the area well, remove oneself from the humid environment (like the steamy bathroom)

Allow time for the skin to thoroughly dry out so it doesn't feel damp or clammy. A blow dryer helps.

If any damp wounds, address with stoma powder just on the wounds that are damp. Dry brush off any excess because it can't flake off or it will leak. On healthy skin damp wipe the powder off or it may dry out the skin and itch.

Coat twice with spray skin protectant under the entire wafer area allowing 30 seconds to dry after each coat.

If wounds are still damp, then repeat the stoma powder + skin protectant again. This process is called crusting.

Skin protectant should be two coats under the wafer area regardless if powder is used or not. However if the last wafer removal came off a bit too easily then one should back off using the skin protectant unless they are using stoma powder because it needs to be locked down with spray skin protectant regardless. The problem is the skin gets a bit too smooth with excessive skin protectant. What I like to do is use a soft plastic scrubby pad to gently rough up the skin a little around the stoma without hitting any wounds, this seems to help.

Appy ring or no sting paste (no alcohol) adequately to the skin first to ensure adhesion and that the skin is covered. With paste it's important to cover as much as the flat part of the wafer as possible, which may require up to three rings of paste around the stoma. Wider equates to better holding strength. Thickness makes up for the distance between the skin and the flat part of the wafer. Don't squish the paste out by pressing the wafer on too hard neither it's going to flex back up and leak on you.

Rings are stretched to fit just around the stoma and pinched pressed closer to cover gaps.

Applying ring or paste to wafer first is NOT recommended, but erroneously taught by medical staff in some places. When it leaks then the whole wafer and everything else is tossed. But if applied to the skin first and it doesn't stick or cover, it's just the barrier adhesive or ring only that is wasted to dry and try again.

Again a ring is applied to fit just around the stoma and pinched if necessary to get it closer. Some have to cut parts of a ring to better fill in dips or belly folds or depressions and a heating pad used on the wafer to get things to melt together.

Paste is far better for filling in uneven gaps, dips and bumps, it levels everything out to meet the flat part of the wafer better.. Rings only have a set height and are better for those with perfect skin and a stoma that sticks out well.

Rings and paste are not the only options, moldable rings and wafers adjust to the stoma as well, so those are also options.

It's important to have your wafer hole cut a head of time and matches the size and shape of your stoma and just a hair bigger as the stoma will expand a little if it protrudes. The size and shape of the stoma can change for some so watch for that.

Apply your wafer correctly and lines up right so the stoma will not scrape on the edge of the wafer. If you need too then dry fit it and make reference marks on the skin and wafer adhesive edge to line up with later.

Press around the stoma through the wafer to seal that first then press and hold the wafer adhesive until it sticks well all around.

It is advised to further use barrier adhesive strips a around on the wafer adhesive to hold it down better and provide a leak blowout container which avoids a mess and may give you some time to get somewhere to do a bag change.


Belly button issue:

Sometimes a stoma is located near a belly button and the adhesive goes into it causing a weak spot where it either irritates or leaks more there. There are moon shaped barrier strips with an extra appendage to cover the belly button. Or one can put a thin piece of cardboard over the hole or fil with toilet pape, then cover with a cut part of a large barrier strip to hold it and give it strength, then put the normal wafer and barrier strip on top of that. The main strength of a wafer comes chiefly from the barrier adhesive but all three or four with a belt work together to maximize the hold.

For many they go home from a hospital using a standard flat wafer that often gets changed to check the healing but now need something more tailored to their body contour to last longer, like several days instead of just a day laying on ones back in the hospital.. Plus one is hopefully moving around more so a flat wafer might not be adequate anymore.

So to find this more appropriate wafer one needs to do a body contour check and they will recommend a more appropriate appliance and application process.

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