My Bladder Cancer Fight

Previous post on this topic:

• Urostomy Pouch - Part 1 of 3

• Urostomy Pouch - Part 2a of 3

• Urostomy Pouch - Part 2b of 3

Urostomy pouches and other Urostomy supplies are available through your local Ostomy Supply store or on the internet.

A search on Google reveals 38,800 pages of “Urostomy Supplies”. I find that Urostomy products a little cheaper online than they are from my Local Supply Store. Most online supply stores have a great delivery system and you generally receive them within a few days.

If your supplies are covered by your Health Insurance saving a few pennies is probably not too important. If you are like me and do not have insurance that covers these supplies, then a few pennies saved becomes important over the years. My Urostomy supply cost averages about $1000.00 to $1600.00 per year. If you run into any problems, your cost would be much higher.

Two things that you must investigate, if you purchase your supplies online …

• 1. Shipping costs

• 2. Return policy

All major manufacturers of Urostomy supplies do give FREE samples of their products for you to try. If you do find a product that works for you, you MUST record the product # for future reference. This will cut down on returns. Most returns to online stores or to your local supply store is due to ordering the wrong product. You may have transposed a 2 for a 3 in the product id number. Be very careful when ordering.

The manufacturers of Urostomy supplies have online product guides with will allow you to choose the correct product. Help in what would work best for you can be obtained from your Urostomy Nurse.

I will list a few manufactures later in this post. If you wish to find online Retail Urostomy Supply Companies, just go to Google and do a search for “Urostomy supplies”.

I am going to use Coloplast product guide, Canadian Edition, as an example since it is the guide most familiar to me. I started out and continue to use Coloplast products.

You choose whichever country you live in for example, USA, Canada or United Kingdom. Manufactures do not have all of there products available in all of the countries. That is why it is important go to your home country to see what is available to you.

Urostomy One Piece Pouch And Two piece Pouch.

Most pouches today are equipped with an anti-reflux valve preventing the urine from flowing back towards the stoma. A Urostomy bag can be connected to a ‘night bag’ which can be attached to the bed at night. Urostomy bags are available as 1-piece appliances and 2-piece systems.

1-piece pouch
In 1-piece appliances the adhesive and the bag are welded together while in 2-piece systems the bag and the adhesive are two components coupled. Individual needs determine what suits the user best. The advantage of using a 1-piece appliance is that it is easy to apply and that the bag is flexible and soft.

2-piece system

The adhesive part does not need to be removed so frequently from the skin as the adhesives can stay on for several days while the bag can be changed as required.
Please note, that if you do not have insurance that covers the cost of Urostomy Supplies, the two piece systems costs considerably more than the one piece systems.

In the one piece system everything is together therefore one price for the complete system.

In two piece system the adhesive backing that is applied to the abdomen is one price. The actual pouch that is attached to the adhesive backing is another price. Therefore you have TWO costs here. Some people get confused with the two piece system thinking that if they purchase the adhesive backing that the pouch is included. NO WAY. They are separate purchases. And in most cases you cannot inter-change one manufacturers pouch with another manufacturers adhesive backing.

Please Note:

You may try a product from a certain manufacturer but find that your body reacts to the adhesive. This is not uncommon. You MUST find the product from a manufacturer that you are comfortable with and where the adhesive does not react with your body. Your Urostomy Nurse can help you find the right product and perhaps give you some samples. Use this Nurse to your full advantage.

See pictures of Coloplast one and two piece systems.

I cannot ware a two piece system from any manufacturer. The reason being is that the adhesive backing contains a hard plastic ring that is used to attach the pouch to the backing. Because of my parastomal hernia, the plastic ring digs into my abdomen and eventually causes pressure sores. If you are over weight by even a little and the weight has settled in the abdominal region, you might NOT be a good candidate for the two piece. The second reason why I cannot wear a two piece is that I have too much fat around my abdomen. Check with your Urostomy Nurse. The last thing you want is pressure sores. They do not heal overnight and can leave some scaring.

Coloplast have a Patient Education Video that you can download. The file is too large unless you have high speed.

Topics include:

• * What to expect after surgery

• * Emptying/changing the pouch

• * Day-to-day living

This video deal with both Urostomy and Colostomy. The care and maintenance are the same only the waste product is different.
Coloplast Urostomy pouches One and Two Piece Systems. See Accessories and Skin Protection on the right side.

A few of the major manufacturers of Urostomy products This is by no means a complete list of Manufacturers.

Remember to ask for FREE samples.

• Coloplast
• Nu Hope
• Marlen
• Convatec
• Hollister
• Cymed

Posted on April 21st, 2008 by Neil
Filed under: Bladder Cancer - Background, My Cancer, Urostomy Pouches