After having ostomy surgery, it takes time to become comfortable with it. No need to worry as you can still go back to doing many of the activities you used to enjoy before the surgery. Just to make life more comfortable for you, here are 10 must-buy ostomy accessories after surgery and why they are very important. Also, here’s a great store to buy ostomy support products.
- Ostomy Pouches
This is the most important accessory to buy when you get ostomy surgery. This is a strong plastic bag that collects your urine and stool. It is attached outside the stoma and sits against your skin. These pouches are available in various sizes to allow various activities. Large sizes are mostly used at night so there wouldn’t be a need to interrupt your sleep, unlike small sizes that are very discreet for sporting activities.
- Wafers
Also known as skin barriers, wafers are small, soft, and flat. They sometimes come with ostomy pouches or you might have to buy them separately which gives you the freedom to cut them to your desired size. It can also be used to control protruding stomas.
- Ostomy Deodorants
Odor control is vital to living a comfortable lifestyle after having ostomy surgery. Nobody wants to smell like urine or stool which is where deodorants come in. Not only do deodorants help you smell good, but they also act as lubricants to stop stools from sticking to the top of your pouch.
- Stoma Caps
They are waterproof covers to protect your stoma when a pouch is not attached. They work the same way pouches work. What differentiates them is the absence of a storage capacity. They can be used when you want to do activities that require you to be bag-free. However, always remember to change out of it in time.
- Disinfecting Wipes
Keeping the area around your stoma clean is very important. This is to avoid infections and other irregularities.
- Adhesives
Depending on your skin type whether dried or oily, you might find it hard to secure wafers to your skin which is what adhesives are used for. They can sometimes be used to protect your accessories from liquid and moisture. There are various forms of adhesives like tapes or even sprays.
- Belts and Covers
Belts are wrapped around the abdomen area so your pouch can stay in place. Pouch covers are also important for added skin protection and comfort.
- Measuring Card and Scissors
This is used to measure the size of your stoma and then use the scissors to cut your wafer into size.
- Stoma Pastes and Powders
Pastes and powders help to fill folds and irregularities of the area surrounding the stoma to make sure that the wafer is well sealed. They also help to reduce skin irritation. Sprinkling some powder on wet areas helps keep the area dry too.
- Pressure Plates or Shields
This will be very important to you if you are at risk of damaging your stoma, maybe at work, school, or during sporting activities.
Having an ostomy is already having enough on your plate. All these accessories will help you live a safe, free and comfortable life.