Leaky urostomy bag

[mikethern]

What are some reasons a urostomy bag leaks under the bag? What's the best technique for applying adhesive paste? My friend has terminal cancer and does not have the energy to get out of bed. His wife cleans the skin around the stoma, then places strips of tegaderm around the stoma to protect the delicate skin. Then puts a thin layer of adhesive paste on the urostomy bag. Then sticks the bag to the tegaderm layer. Whenever he lays on his side, the bag starts leaking between the skin and the bag.

He does not tolerate silk tape on his skin.

Any ideas to make a better seal?

[suzanne4, RN]

Instead of tegaderm, a layer of karaya....it can come in a ring that fits directly on the skin with an opening around the stoma, or in a paste form. It usually will give a better seal. There is also a piece that sits on the skin and the urostomy bag should seal into it. Not sure why that is not being used. The urostomy bag, as well as the colostomy bags, usually are a two part system. The layer that sits on the skin and the bag snaps onto it. That would give a better seal and help prevent the leaking.