UOAA Discussion Board

I am am LPN and my mom has had an ostomy 50+ years -first colostomy, now ileostomy. I was thinking about how to make it easier for ostomates to feel comfortable in the swimming pool and came up with an idea... What if one were to insert an inflatable balloon, like the one on a Foley catheter, just inside the stoma, and blow it up, providing a temporary form-fitting internal plug? Is there a way this idea could help people manage their output while swimming or in other sensitive situations? One would have to be careful to secure any object used so it couldn't get lost inside. I'm curious if anyone has tried this or something similar or has other ideas about how to manage in the pool.

It's not available in the US but for some other countries, there is a similar product available. I think its called Conseal plug. And lolapergola has an entry on the second page here about a new device coming which would do what you are talking about, but only the UK would get it. Oh well.......

In theory, this seems like a plausible idea. With normal plumbing, you have the ability to stop output in the rectum through control of the sphincter muscles. With an ostomy, those are gone. A rectum will relax and stop contracting for a while and expand to accommodate additional output until you can get to a restroom. Without the rectum, the colon is still using peristalsis to move output along the tract. It will continue to contract, and cause discomfort/cramping with breaks in between contractions, but with less ability to expand like the rectum would.
With a Foley catheter, output still flows out, and will need to even if it is clamped off. With continuous flow of output, whether it be urine or bowel waste, a build up of PSI is going to occur, and something has to give. I don't think I'd want to be there when you reach maximum PSI with an ostomy and you release the catheter/plug!
Then, there's also the risk of perforation with excessive pressure in the colon, losing the catheter, etc. The idea is good, but I'm afraid that there are too many risk factors involved, medically and logistically that prevent this from being a functional idea. I like the thought process though.
With all that said, I'm a scuba diver, and spend as much time in the pool as possible. You have to remember that the pouching system is waterproof from the inside, and from the outside as well. I would suggest making sure the pouch is empty before getting into the water and jump on in! I use an Under Armour compression shirt to keep the pouch close to my body, and then a rash guard shirt on top of that. A woman can easily keep the pouch close to the body with a one piece swim suit. There is enough flexibility with one piece swimsuit material that even if she were to have output while swimming, that she wouldn't have any emergencies/accidents. Just want to make sure you have a good seal on the flange. Don't want to jump in the pool with a flange that has been on for several days and has any "weak" spots. When I go on vacation and am going to be in the water a lot, I will use a Sureseal (you can google these and find several different retailers) around the flange to ensure a good seal to my stomach.
Hope that helps some.

David

I have the same experiences as Dave. I go swimming, in the hot tub, various water sports, and scuba diving.
Try to have an empty bag, with a fairly fresh flange thats securely connected.

One more perspective: As someone who spent my childhood from 4 years old to 15 really sick and having to experience multiple painful and invasive tests, treatments, and procedures, I still, after 45 (!) years have an aversion to anything as invasive as placing something in my stoma (I have an ileo). It would take away any pleasure I'd get from swimming in the first place. Your idea might be viable, with adjustments as pointed out by others, for people who had their ostomies as adults and weren't sick a long time. But for someone like me, still amazingly experiencing the early things as trauma, I can't see it. It doesn't take much to secure the pouch for swimming. There are some people on this board who swim or used to swim competitively. Maybe they'll chime in.

On the flip side, I think it's really great that you are thinking of ways to make your mom's (and other people's) life easier. Not lot of people go to that trouble. Thanks!

I have had multiple blockages that have stopped my output. They hurt (a lot). This sounds like it would create an artificial blockage.

Hi all I see no reason to do something like this to control output, when I go swimming I don't eat a large meal before or if I plan to go somewhere like a concert also its much easier to take an emmodium pill which I do before flying like when we went Hawaii. like susan f said blockages are painful so I wouldn't want to manually block my ileo. Its good to think of ways to improve ostomy life but not this.

I’ve discovered a great use for a stoma when salmon fishing in Desolation Sound BC. I remove my pouch and swim around the boat when my stoma is spitting. I’m soon surrounded by a school of herring which the guys on board scoop up with a net. That gives us enough salmon bait for three guys for a whole day of fishing.

Gooeyduk, thanks for the laugh!

Gooeyduk wrote: 2020-03-27 00:25:41 I’ve discovered a great use for a stoma when salmon fishing in Desolation Sound BC. I remove my pouch and swim around the boat when my stoma is spitting. I’m soon surrounded by a school of herring which the guys on board scoop up with a net. That gives us enough salmon bait for three guys for a whole day of fishing.

That sounds cold this time of year....couldn't you just lean over the boat and swirl it around with the net or a paddle!!

ot dave, I have several questions about scuba diving. I don't see a forum on that at this time but saw your response on it. Would love to ask you some questions about it. What's the best way? I'm brand new on here. I have a colostomy and Iliostomy. Thanks.