I’ve been trying a new Hollister ostomy system out, and I immediately noticed something that I found rather annoying: the pouch outlet just dangles from the bottom.
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Intro
It’s not obvious if you have an empty pouch, but as you start moving and your pouch fills up, poof – it dangles around like a Christmas ornament!
Curious, I took to twitter to see what other Hollister users thought, and the response I received was a bit surprising.
One ostomate said that you simply get use to it and another uses a binder clip to keep it in place.
Call me spoiled, but companies like Coloplast and Salts have already solved this issue by adding a strip of Velcro to the pouch to keep the outlet from flapping around.
So I thought, “why not do the same with the Hollister pouch? ” And so I did.
The Hack
Here’s how you can hack your Hollister pouch to be less annoying, with a bit of adhesive Velcro strips and a few seconds of your time.
First, you’ll want to clean the plastic part of your pouch with rubbing alcohol. This will make sure that the surface is clean and oil – free.
Use rubbing alcohol to clean the surfaces that you’ll be sticking your Velcro to.
Next, you’ll want to take a small piece of Velcro (the fuzzy part) and apply it to the back of your outlet after it’s been rolled up.
Use enough Velcro to cover a large part of the flap.
Then stick it here.
After that, you’ll want to stick the other piece of Velcro (the hooky part) to your pouch so that aligns with the fuzzy part.
Apply the hooked Velcro here.
You should leave it on for 24 hours on order to get a perfect bond, so do this ahead of time. If you’re in a rush, you don’t have to wait for he adhesive to fully cure, but just be careful when releasing the Velcro, so it’s not tugging too much on your pouch.
And you’re done! Enjoy!
Feel free to use a wider strip of Velcro, but don’t use anything too small or it will come undone as your pouch fills.
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Closing Words
That’s it!
A few things to note:
- Use regular Velcro, not the industrial strength one. You’re trying to keep your pouch outlet from dangling, not mount a shelving unit to the wall!
- If you make a mistake, do not try to remove the Velcro if it’s already on your pouch. You will damage the pouch and will likely get a leak. At the very most, use an adhesive remover and gently peel off any Velcro that was applied incorrectly. Be certain that your pouch wasn’t punctured before trying again.
- When it comes time to empty your pouch, go easy on the Velcro as it separates. It’s an ostomy pouch, not a pair of sneakers!
If you’ve used this trick, let me know in the comment’s below, and feel free to offer any tweaks that have worked better for you.
This clever Hollister Ostomy Pouch Hack is a game-changer for anyone using ostomy pouches, making them more comfortable and secure – try it out!
Brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing this great tip!
I bought ladies underwear that actually looks like men’s ‘tighty whiteys’ without the crotch opening! They are a longer leg length so keeps the bag nice & close to my leg & doesn’t move around at all. The waist band is wider than ladies underwear so keeps the top part of the bag from flopping over! I use the blue medical tape to fold over the closure. The hard plastic is very uncomfortable!
Thanks for sharing your experience and tips, Margaret! I’m glad you found a solution that works well for you.
I wear bag Hollister 841311. Have for 2 1/2 yrs. The bag hangs too long and is nerve racking. I use stoma powder’s on skin, dust it off as directed, then spray it with Cavilon no sting barrier film. Lately after about 24 hours I start burning. Have had lots of leakage. Night bags are a nightmare. Any advice? Did great until a couple of months ago. I am 85 yrs young, right now need help. Have hernia near stoma so I
Am uneven but use skin barriers.
Hi Shelby, the Hollister 841311 seems to be urostomy bag. Do you have a urostomy, or is that bag style being used for convenience because of liquid or loose output?
I like to use support belts or covers to help with longer bags. They provide support and keep the bottom of the bag more secure and prevents flapping.
The leaks are a concern, and I would suggest working with a stoma nurse to evaluate your skin and appliance change routine to see if there are any tweaks that can be made.
Velcro expensive. I just used blue painters tape. Didn’t harm pouch and used same tape multiple times.
@Laura Great tip! I was getting velcro from the dollar store, so it was really inexpensive, but if tape works, go for it!