Why Is There No Change In The Method Of Collecting Urine From Stomas?

By : Neil MacDonald

There have been great advances in improving the glues and wafers that help to prevent leakage.

There has been no change in the way that the urine is collected from the stoma and stored until the pouch is emptied. This surprises me. As a Urostomy patient myself, I am interested in what advances have been made in the collection method from the stoma. So far, from doing research, I have not found any alternative method.

The only method on the market, today, is to have a plastic pouch glued to the stomach with the stoma inside the pouch. Even with the great advances in adhesives and barrier rings, subjecting the skin under the pouch, therefore under the adhesive, to prolonged exposure to these chemicals does cause problems. Skin being in constant contact with these chemicals year after year does show, at least sensitivity. Human skin should not be subjected to adhesives 24/7 for years on end.

If Urostomy and Colostomy patients were polled, I think that you would find that one of there top problems was the skin underneath their pouch. Just looking at the skin can tell you that it is irritated because of the adhesives used.

The following four paragraphs I either quoted or paraphrased from an article written by Gwen B. Turnbull, RN, BS, ET.
The article title - Ostomy Wound Management
The full article is at http://www.o-wm.com/article/6240

Before 1960, only 25 companies manufactured Ostomy supplies.

In 1920, the Koenig-Rutzen rubber pouch was introduced. It took another 20 years before disposable plastic pouching systems, skin-friendly adhesives, and skin protection became available on the market.

By 1950, more companies had entered the market and innovation took flight. However, extensive use of “permanent” (re-usable) heavy rubber pouches, rigid faceplates, and glue remained the norm.

In the early 1970s,Vinyl re-usable pouches were introduced but were ineffective at odour management. Karaya’s capabilities as a “skin barrier,” discovered in the mid-1960s, quickly moved it into a position of dominance in the US Ostomy market. Later that decade and early into the next, larger manufacturers entered the field, producing more advanced skin barriers and disposable, lightweight, odour-resistant pouching systems.

Yes, there has continued to be advances in pouch designs, adhesives and skin barrier but there have NOT been any advances in the methodology of collecting the urine from the stoma.

Why not?

Medical science has advanced a hundred fold since the 50s, 60s and 70s. However, the Medical Community has not looked into new methodology to replace the pouch system nor have the large Ostomy supply companies. Is the reason, the same old story?

I have no medical training but here is what I would like to see. A method of collection that does not require a pouch glued to your abdomen. The pouch held in place with an abdominal belt on some kind. To me, the pouch is nothing more than a zip lock bag with a few baffles inside to help keep the urine from settling around the stoma area and an output stopper for emptying. Really that is all they are.

The odd time Ostomy patients are required to either catheterize themselves or by the Ostomy Nurse. Generally, this is done when a sterile sample of urine is required to test for an infection.

When I was taking my Chemotherapy on a weekly bases there were two people who required a stint implant because their veins were in such bad shape. This was the only way that they could receive the chemotherapy. One Chemotherapy session every three weeks lasted for over 4 hours. That is a long time to have an IV dripping strong chemicals into your system. As I understand it, the stint used in most home dialysis patients.

Why cannot some variation of the stint be attached to the stoma to provide inches extending from the abdominal wall? This stint would be inserted or attached to the pouch to carry the urine from the stoma. Alternatively, the stoma made longer during surgery so that it extends outside the abdominal wall at least 4 to 6 inches. Even though, the stoma created from a section of the small bowel, it has no nerve endings. The extended portion from the abdominal wall could be kept clean and safe by a protective cover. All Ostomy patients are very aware of cleanliness. If they do not, they will have one infection after another and nobody wants that.

So, let us hear some comments back. Am I too far out in left field? If nothing else, it is food for thought for Ostomy patients.