On prime of all the brand new feelings and routines that include the surgical procedure, getting a colostomy leaves you with an entire new set of choices to make about merchandise. One of many keys to efficiently managing your colostomy is discovering the appropriate merchandise that work together with your pores and skin, your stoma and your life-style. With system in place, a colostomy can prevent time and enhance your general well being, whereas a problematic setup can result in spiraling issues.

Mark Fuglevand grew to become intimately conscious of this when he bought a colostomy. Now he’s utilizing his personal expertise and experiences shared with him by neighborhood members to design merchandise that empower colostomy customers. “My aim is to create easy options that may make residing with and managing a colostomy simpler,” says Fuglevand, a C6 quad and the founding father of adaptive options purveyor Abilitease.

Whereas there are most likely extra ostomy-related merchandise and choices accessible now than ever earlier than, Fuglevand observed that only a few of them incorporate quad-friendly design or have been developed with the insights that solely an energetic wheelchair consumer can present. With two younger sons, a spouse, and an organization to develop, Fuglevand doesn’t have time to be fumbling with ostomy wafers and pouches. To that finish, he’s creating three 3D-printed colostomy-related instruments that he hopes will assist others and get extra customers to consider how one can enhance the method.

Product No. 1 – StomaSecure

Probably the most refined of Fuglevand’s gadgets addresses two frequent ostomy wants: sound and safety. With a colostomy, the stoma might be loud and embarrassing, and the pores and skin across the opening can simply develop into irritated. Most wafer and pouch programs supply little safety from abrasion or sudden fuel noises.

“Some individuals with ostomies have a tough time with the pores and skin round their stoma, and the world can develop into uncooked and delicate to the touch. Clothes, seatbelts and even binders utilized in wheelchair sports activities not solely rub in opposition to the stoma, however forestall output from flowing into the pouch,” he says. “There are quite a few merchandise accessible to guard a stoma, however they aren’t low-cost.” These merchandise tackle the issue, however not key considerations like price and ease of use. “You both have to use Velcro on the highest of your ostomy pouch each time you modify it or put on an institutional-looking belt round your abdomen with a canopy,” he says. “They merely don’t make sense.”

Fuglevand’s resolution is a detachable plastic cowl with a loop deal with, that slides behind the floating flange on a Hollister wafer and covers the stoma, creating a bit of protecting dome. The quilt has a curved opening on one finish to permit output to move. The quilt is open on each side so you’ll be able to flip it whereas it’s on the flange to match up with the orientation of the pouch. He’s at present lining the within of the duvet with felt or neoprene to assist mute the noise coming from the stoma, however hopes to discover a more practical damper.

Fuglevand notes that you simply nonetheless have to observe the quantity of output and fuel however believes his resolution improves ease of use and luxury. “It’s good and simple. You actually can simply slide it on or off everytime you need to use it — no straps, no additional crap,” he says. As soon as on, “You neglect that you’re carrying it as a result of there’s not a good strap holding it in place.”

Product No. 2 – PouchCollect

For all the advantages of the colostomy, there’s no getting round the truth that emptying or altering ostomy pouches is usually a pungent, disagreeable expertise. No matter whether or not you’re utilizing a one-piece drainable or two-piece closed-end pouch system, quad arms and restricted dexterity solely complicate the matter.
“Each time I take away a full pouch, and I’ve to carry it up with my enamel as an alternative of my arms through the change, there’s the scent of poop going into my face,” says Fuglevand.

To deal with that scenario and assist reduce a few of the potential for making a multitude, Fuglevand is engaged on a detachable kidney-shaped tray that attaches to a Hollister wafer the identical method because the StomaSecure. The tray is designed to take a seat comfortably on the abdomen and catch any potential unfastened stool when eradicating and emptying a pouch earlier than it oozes onto the dressing or your garments. The system may also safe a disposal bag, making it simpler to maintain it in the appropriate place when you detach and get rid of your ostomy pouch. “My tenodesis works rather well, however detaching a full pouch and emptying it into a bathroom or inserting it in a disposable bag with out making a multitude might be tough,” he says.

Product No. 3 – PouchAssist

Fuglevand’s closing design focuses on making it simpler to connect and take away pouches on a two-piece closed-end system. This contains with the ability to “burp” fuel that accumulates within the ostomy pouch. Many pouches in the marketplace have filters that permit some fuel to move via, nevertheless it’s usually essential to barely separate the pouch from the wafer and permit fuel to exit. How straightforward that is will depend on your wafer, system setup and dexterity.

For individuals who can’t simply apply or separate the pouch from the wafer, Fuglevand has examined a plastic applicator that attaches to the facet belt tabs of the Hollister two-piece, closed-end pouch. With semicircle tracks that match snugly across the pouch flange, the applicator will assist the pouch line up with the flange on the wafer to safe the pouch. “This system additionally means that you can flip the pouch to the specified place and separate a portion of the pouch to burp it when needed,” says Fuglevand.

Trying Ahead

All the merchandise Fuglevand is engaged on are designed to work with the Hollister merchandise he depends on. He selected to make use of Hollister as a result of he was already accustomed to their catheters and he discovered that one among their wafers labored nicely together with his stoma. “I really like the flexibleness and the way fast I can pop a pouch on and off on my Hollister stuff — it’s very straightforward. And I’ve gotten so snug with it,” he says.

He’s open to working with different product strains to plan bespoke options. He needs to empower customers to be extra unbiased, and hopes to encourage trade leaders like Hollister and Coloplast to combine extra consumer enter of their designs. He’s already specializing in what’s subsequent, together with merchandise that might make flying with an ostomy simpler. “It’s easy, actually,” he says. “I take into consideration what I’ve discovered, what I would like and what works, after which I am going to work.”