The necessary products that your ET provides you while sending you home after ostomy surgery include flanges, pouches, and paste. Your nurse may suggest the use of some additional products. Those products are not necessary, but they can quite useful to help you ensure effective ostomy care. We are going to talk about a few most common accessories.
Paste
Stoma paste has a toothpaste-like consistency, and it comprises of materials that aid the skin barrier in ensuring a tighter seal with the peristomal skin. While the word ‘paste’ could lead you to think of this product as something like glue, it is more analogous to caulking. This paste is used at the edge of the inner opening of the skin barrier to protect the exposed part of the skin from the stool. As a general rule, the opening of the skin barrier should be 1/8-inch (3-4mm) bigger than the base of your stoma. Stoma paste fills that gap to protect your skin. You can also use this paste to fill the fissures in your peristomal skin to make sure that there is no room for leakage after the application of the skin barrier.
Powder
Stoma powder is a finely ground skin barrier component with a limited absorptive capability. The purpose of this powder is to treat peristomal skin complications. You can sprinkle this powder on the infected area to form a thin layer. You will need to cover this layer with a barrier wipe before placing the skin barrier. Using the skin barrier directly on the powder will prevent it from making a seal. You do not need to use this powder unless you have a skin complication to treat, so using it when you do not have any complications will offer no benefit.
Wipes
There are various types of wipes available. One of the types includes adhesive remover wipes. If your skin is healthy, you can simply push the skin away from the back of the skin barrier to take the old ostomy pouch off. You can use an adhesive remover to clean any adhesive residue left behind after the removal of the old pouching system. After using the wipe, you will need to clean your peristomal skin to remove any traces of adhesive remover.
Other types of skin wipe mainly include skin-protecting wipes. These wipes are laden with a liquid that dries very quickly to form a thin layer after you apply it to the skin. It acts as a protective layer between your skin and the skin barrier of the pouching system.
These wipes can also be used to secure stoma powder. You cannot apply the skin barrier directly on the layer of stoma powder. Using a wipe will form a layer on the powder, giving the skin barrier enough ground to get hold of the area to make a seal.
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