UOAA Discussion Board

I use Hollister skin barriers and bag. I enjoy doing water aerobics but have had on occasion, my barrier come loose and leak. I have tried taping, plastic film, athletic adhesive and nothing seems to keep the "system" watertight. Any suggestions to stop the leakage?

Are you using an ostomy belt when performing these activities? I was still living in the South and had a pool in my yard when I had my surgery. I was hesitant to get back into the pool, but I put on an ostomy belt and soon realized that I could play with my kids in the water for extended periods with lots of movement. I never had an issue with the bag seal. It seems that this simple protective barrier over the open sides would help prevent the sail effect of your constant changes in direction. It may not seem like much, but you have an attachment down there with a sail all the way around it. On three sides, you have about a 1" wing, and then the length of the bag at the base. It's even worse when you begin having output in the bag that makes the change in direction even more impactful. A belt over this seems like it would cut down on that jarring of the seal.

The only time I've ever experienced a constant seal breakdowns was when on an elk hunting trip in Montana a few years back. We think it was the extreme cold that caused my issue, but I was going through 3 bags a day and couldn't get anything to stay on. Because my options were limited, I warmed my bags over a fire, and I used both duck tape and tenacious tape trying to get something to stick, but nothing worked. After talking it over with the manufacturer (Coloplast), they recommended that I use their Brava protective sheet (which is to be applied to your skin prior to bag adherence) and Brava elastic barriers (the half-moon sticky strips). Hollister refers to their version of this as Adapt Barrier Extenders. Their website describes these as, "Adapt barrier extenders easily frame the skin barrier, and the thin, flexible hydrocolloid formulation helps conform to uneven body folds and contours. This may help increase wear time, by reducing barrier edge lifting and increasing the adhesive coverage area."

I hope this helps - good luck!

SeaQuest

Sure seal rings. I get mine on amazon. I go to the beach every summer. I place a ring around the outside of the flange, and go all week without issues. I use a two piece system, so the flange stays put throughout the week. They come in a package of 10. I used these on a live aboard dive boat where we went on 5 dives a day for 7 days. Never had a leak. They are fantastic for use with all water activities. I know you can get them other places, but here is a link for them on amazon.... https://www.amazon.com/ALRS0210PK-Sure- ... C84&sr=8-2

Hope that helps.

David

Maybe consider a support belt (also good for water sports) such as https://www.stealthbelt.com/neoprene-extreme-belt