Anyone else having product quality issues with Coloplast?

[naumthon]

I have had an ileostomy for nealry two decades. Took awhile to find a system that worked best for me. I've been using Coloplast Sensura light convex Two-piece system for years. In the past year however I keep finding quality issues with the bags. I had one box (20 qty) where every single bag leaked around the carbon filter area. And several where the adhesive failed within a day or so. I reported the issue to Coloplast and going to try the one-piece optoin to see if that works. But curious if other Coloplast users have had similar issues?

[Shamrock4806]

No problems here with their one piece convex.

No leaks around the carbon filter.

No adhesive issues.

I don't place my trust on wafer adhesive alone with a convex and a belly fold. I use extra adhesive strips, no sting paste.

You might have gotten a bad batch, I would contact them for an exchange, they likely would want to see and test, find the error.

[Shamrock4806]

As a added note, their protective sheet is very strong adhesively speaking and your problem actually gave me a very good idea.

To use extra liquid adhesive just on the areas where the wafer adhesive areas touch the protective sheet so they can fuse together even stronger.

Some are using a heating pad to get things to activate better as heat does the trick to bond better.

I'm relying too much on the belt and it does tend to loosen itself over time. Or in my last accident, I lifted the belt a little and had a blowout because of it.

You can place a piece of highly strong medical tape over the filter area if it's leaking, make sure it's very dry first though. I did that when I put my bag on upside down in an experiment to keep contents around the stoma (using digestive enzymes neutralizer).

However I don't advise using any additional adhesives or glues on the skin areas that are not medically approved.

[Jen1875]

I have had an ileostomy for 13 years and always used the same Coloplast 2 piece pouching products. I have never experienced any problems with what I used until the last several months. Now the filter rarely works, it does not stop the odor and sometimes it even leaks at the filter. The opening at the bottom starts to separate at the fold and therefore I have to change the pouch earlier. At the beginning I thought I just received a bad batch but unfortunately this is my third order and at least half of the pouches in the delivery have an issue! Any suggestions on what to switch to?!? My pouching system previously was a source of comfort but now I just don’t trust it.

[Shamrock4806]

Well jumping over to Hollister isn't such a great idea neither, I'm hearing plenty of complaints about their cheap and flimsy bags leaking.

Then they still use clips and their two piece click has no way to lock it and keep it from separating.

Then many complain about their adhesive causing skin issues, its why I quit them, just getting huge rashes.

All I can suggest is try the samples and see what works best for you.

[Maru]

I have an ileostomy as well and the hospital set me up with Hollister. I use their two-piece system. While the adhesive does irritate my skin, I have never had the bag detach from the wafer. I had some leaking the first few weeks but once I mastered applying the wafer, I haven't had any leaks.

On the other hand, I ordered some samples of Coloplast to see if they would be more comfortable and didn't have much luck with them. I had trouble getting the wafers to stick and on one occasion the bag fell off the wafer in the middle of the night and broke when I tried to put it back on.

[Shamrock4806]

Well I've been using Coloplast for almost two years now and they always have been of consistent quality.

Only sometimes the pectin based paste can vary slightly in how thick it is coming out of the tube. So I learned to pre prepare my wafer, then go take a nice long hot shower and usually the paste has thickened up some by then. Also leaving the cap off works too.

The thing with their pectin based paste is the skin needs to be very very clean and dry so it sticks to the skin when it comes out of the tube. If it doesn't then it doesn't work as well. So I've ditched their adhesive remover for oil free eye makeup remover instead as it works better to remove fine traces of pectin paste off the skin. But needs to be washed with plain soap and water a few times or it's too greasy to adhere too.

But compared to the cheap Hollister crap my hospital uses because they wind up ripping the bag off daily anyway to look if/how I'm healing around my stoma, Coloplast is like driving a Cadillac.

My Coloplast bags and related stuff costs me $27 a pop, but I get 3 days usually out of the one piece, so $9 a day not to burn a hole down my abdomen with digestive enzymes eating me alive.

[GeorgeS]

I've used a couple of models from both Hollister and Coloplast. I wouldn't claim either brand sucks. It's more model-specific than to suggest.

[Shamrock4806]

A Reddit poll was taken on the ostomy forum and about 46% use Coloplast, so that should speak volumes there.

https://share.google/4Pbwu59byrQ9goie1

Hollister is a close second at 36% but likely because hospitals use them quite a bit more because they are cheaper and it fits their more disposable needs unlike long time use wearers. So those who used Hollister at the hospital likely kept on using it.

A much better hospital turned me onto Coloplast and I saw how much better they were and didn't irritate my skin unlike Hollister wafers do.

So naturally I stuck with them.

Unfortunately Conavtec comes in at a mere 5% on the poll. I gave them a shot but found out they are just on the same level as Hollister.

[Mara]

fyi, I don't know about reddit polls but I have used Convatec for decades and no real issues....

[Bob Webtech]

That Reddit poll was affected by the sizes of the companies in different countries. Coloplast is the biggest ostomy product manufacturer worldwide, so it's not surprising that it came out on top. Hollister is the biggest in the US. I think Hollister would probably come out ahead of Coloplast if the survey were conducted in the US only. Convatec was, at one time (many years ago), a division of a drug company (Bristol-Myers Squibb) and was then the top seller in the US. Since then, Convatec was sold off by Bristol-Myers Squibb and underwent major corporate changes and also suffered some product problems in recent years. Still, it's interesting that Convatec placed so low in this survey.

[ot dave]

I'll reiterate that what is best for you, is best for you. I love my Hollister products. They do a good job meeting MY needs. That doesn't mean that the rest of the products are not beneficial for someone else's use. Ostomies, like people, are all unique. What works best for one individual may not work for another. Using paste, adhesive removers, products to reduce scent/odor, etc, etc. are a waste of time FOR ME. If it works for you, then that is fantastic! I think it's great that you share what is working for you, but be wise in how you share the information with others. The way you or I do things will not necessarily work for everyone that reads these posts. I have gotten a lot of good ideas from members here, but I have also ignored a lot of other information as well. I hope that when I add to a discussion that the readers know that I am only giving my opinion, and that others will have ideas and tips that might work or suit them better....

[Mara]

Interesting, Bob Webtech - I guess I am old-fashioned and don't look at those type of sites or ChapGPT when I want info...I might consult uoaa or my local ostomy group if I have questions....I could care less what others think.

I just saw a new ostomy nurse, long story...but anyway she suggested I try some Hollister products and gave me samples. When I looked at the pouch, it had a filter and the opening had the clipless velcro-type closing - as I said I am old-fashioned and still use a clip....lol.....

Back in the day, it was said that pouch filters didn't work for people with ileostomies because of clogging, maybe it's changed now....

[Shamrock4806]

Good info there Bob, thanks.

And clips and I don't work out well together, especially if dropped onto the toilet.

Hollister feels like I'm using something from WWII era.

And Coloplast filters work, I've never had a ballooning issue, but then again I do control my diet and dump quite often so it's not been an issue for me.

I can drink a can of bottle of Fanta soda (no caffeine) with no consequences.

I wish Hollister would come up to the design and feature quality of Coloplast, just to have competition, but likely they would run into patent infringement issues.

So maybe 20 years from now?