From Stillwater-Ponca City (OK) Ostomy Outlook Nov 1995:

Assorted Ostomy Tips

Editor's note: These tips were offered during discussion at our Oct 16, 1995 chapter meeting. They are simply opinions of the people who suggested them, and should not be regarded as professional medical advice. Always consult with your doctor or ET nurse before changing your treatment.

• If odor is a problem, try rinsing the pouch with water containing a small amount of mouthwash (Scope works well), or antibacterial soap, when emptying the pouch. If you use a two-piece appliance and rotate pouches, the pouch not in use can be soaked in denture cleaner.

• For rinsing the pouch when emptying it, a small watering can with a curved spout works very well.

• Smith & Nephew cement improves the seal obtained with some ostomy appliances.

• A transparent pouch may help you change your appliance better by allowing you to see what you're doing. [Editor's note: Not all "transparent" pouches are equally transparent. ConvaTec's are extremely transparent; Hollister's are more translucent.]

• If your pouch fills with gas, remember to empty it just as you would empty more liquid or solid contents. If you use a two-piece appliance, you can partially open the flange to "burp" the pouch, and avoid complete emptying protocol. You can also avoid gas build-up by using a pouch with built-in gas filter.

• It has been reported that barrier wipes should not be used with Hollister appliances. Actually, there's an incompatibility between barrier wipes and Hollister's newest (Flextend®) barrier material. But there's no problem using barrier wipes with Hollister's older appliances.

• For male ostomates who suffer painful collisions between the pouch tail-clip and certain key organs (ouch!): Try angling the pouch toward a pants leg instead of pointing it straight down. Wear briefs (not boxer shorts) and pass the pouch through a leg opening in the brief to hold it in place.

• Many ostomates have been taught to cut or select a barrier opening about 3 mm (1/8 inch) greater in diameter than the stoma. That's because many ostomy barriers contain hard materials that can injure the stoma if you don't leave some clearance. However, ConvaTec's Durahesive® (and also the new Flextend® material from Hollister) work best if cut or selected to match the exact size of the stoma.

• Convex barriers (or convex inserts in otherwise flat barriers) may be necessary to get a good seal when the stoma is flush or recessed, or near skin folds. However, if your stoma projects at least around 15 mm (about 1/2 inch) from the abdomen, and your peristomal skin is relatively flat, you may get along fine (and save money too) by using a flat barrier.

• Perhaps the most important advice: Learn all you can about managing your ostomy, but also be somewhat skeptical of the advice you hear and read (including the stuff in this newsletter!). It's up to you to figure out what works best for your ostomy.