Hey there Sambucca...in order to protect his skin from a rash or burn, it is important to cut the hole as close as possible to the stoma without it hurting the stoma. I had trouble with my upside down D shape stoma a few months back. I cut my usual one inch hole and then took the plastic off the pouch, placed it  over my stoma and on my tummy. I took scotch tape to make a patch work model of the required hole for my cut. It took several pieces of tape to do this but it worked to get the right shape. Maybe try that. I then clean the  plastic I used as my pattern after tracing the shape to the right size. It took three tries.On my next change, I remeasured using the new pattern, traced it on the next bag and then kept that plastic as a pattern also.  I  have several that I recheck my stoma size with always cleaning it after with alcohol pads.  Do you have stoma powder on hand in case his skin reacts from a wrong size cut hole? Read the instructions well on it.  Do you have some uncut bags on hand to make your own cut with? I never knew you could order pre-cut bags until I signed on here a year ago! Imagine  my surprise. If you do not have any on hand, call and get some samples to do this with. In the mean time, just do your best. I think stoma powder can be had in Vegan also. You can get a samples of it from Hollister as well as some bags.  Are you using skin barrier wipes to first protect the skin. I use about 6 or 8 when I put on a new bag, letting it dry in between. Sometimes when I take off the bag, I have accidentally torn some skin,when removing the bag, not so much now with the adhesive  SPRAY remover. but, I use stoma powder on the sore spots to help give it healing time.  Things I wish I knew! If his skin is red around the edge of the bag plate, make sure to moisturize it. Let us know how it goes.  Your doing great!!!

Hi Sambucca, Skin showing will be skin that's in contact with the output, at the same time the wafer doesn't need to be gripping on the stoma. A mm back is what I go by my guides are in metric. when using a barrier ring the wafer can be cut a little bigger.

Thank  you for your replies! I always have stoma powder on hand for irritation and use Cavilon always as instructed by the stoma nurse at Memorial Sloan. I do have one or two uncut bags. It is a good idea to try cutting the smaller size before the next order and see what happens. We don´t use a barrier ring because my husband´s wafer is convex and it´s not advisable.

Sambucca, with experience, I've come to learn that the opening doesn't have to be cut so it's tight around the stoma. I tend to cut a larger hole than a smaller one because I know that my wafer (Hollister New Image) will expand somewhat as it comes in contact with moisture, and that tends to fill in the gap :)

I'm not sure if you'll have much of a leeway with convex appliances, but I know that when I cut mine too tight or when it's really snug with my stoma, I get all kinds of trouble from blockages to bleeding. 

Thanks, Eric! After thinking a lot about this, I have a vague idea that, at the hospital, they said to get the 1" not the smaller stoma size. It´s already been almost 6 years, so I don´t recall as clearly.  :roll:  :lol: 

Hello, Sam

The stoma nurses at the Mayo Clinic told me to leave a 1/8" gap between the stoma and the wafer or barrier ring. This allows the stoma to move around, expand and contract freely. I always put stoma powder right around the perimeter of the stoma, too, just in case.

Hi Sam,

I do like bluesgal. I leave about a 1/8" gap and use the stoma powder . Stoma needs some wiggle room, but you have to protect as much of the peristomal  skin as you can from the output.