If you’re a fan of the Coloplast SenSura Mio line and you have a high-output stoma, have I got something for you!
Table of Contents
Video
Introduction
Coloplast surprised many of us with their SenSura Mio line.
The Mio’s featured better cloth material in a more neutral colour; an updated filter; several small, but useful changes; and it became an appliance that gets mentioned just about everywhere I look.
Recently, a marketing email from Coloplast caught my attention: High-output pouches were now available in the SenSura Mio line.
Because I wanted to tell you guys about these new products, I immediately jumped on the opportunity to request samples (and Coloplast is very good at sending samples).
That said, like previous articles and reviews on this site, this is not sponsored in any way.
Why These?
There are two main reasons why an ostomate might use an appliance like this:
- They find themselves waking up in the middle of the night to empty their appliance and they’d like to avoid that.
- They have a very active stoma that fills up regularly sized pouches too quickly.
These high-output bags can solve both of those problems, which is why this is such an exciting product to see.
In addition, there are other scenarios where I can see this being quite handy, especially if you’re a Sensura Mio user already:
- During bowel prep. If you’re asked to do a bowel prep, you may experience high-volume, liquid output. This would be the perfect appliance to wear during that time.
- After surgery. It’s unlikely that you’ll be given a product like this after your surgery. But if you can prepare ahead of time, or already have an ostomy and are going in for another procedure, this may also be useful to keep around.
How Big is Big?
Currently, the “large” SenSura Mio pouches, like large pouches from other brands, have a capacity of about 655ml.
That capacity is often more than enough for many ostomates, especially considering that most people are told to empty their appliance when it’s about 1/3 full anyway.
The new, high-output pouches have a capacity that goes up to over 1100ml depending on the style!
For length, we’re talking 12″ for the #18601 and similarly sized pouches when the outlet is folded up vs. 7.5″ for the Maxi size pouches (also with the outlet folded up).
Comparing the Old with the New
Whenever someone would ask what appliance they recommend for a high-output stoma, I would say the Coloplast SenSura Magnum.
The Magnum still is a recommended product, but the newer Mio pouches may appeal to more people for several different reasons.
Fabric
The Magnum pouches use a standard, beige cloth material that isn’t terrible, but it’s not great.
The Mio pouches feature a smooth, greyish material that looks modern and clean.
One of the benefits of the newer cloth material is that it repels water better than their previous fabric. That means, it will dry faster and won’t absorb water or sweat.
Filter
While it’s not printed on the pouch (as it is on the regular SenSura Mio pouches), I assume the filter on these high-output appliances use the “Circle Filter 430” because they pretty much look the same.
If you’re unaware of the filter system on the SenSura Mio, then it may come as a bit of a surprise as it features a large, circular pre-filter.
This pre-filter is supposed to slow down any output or liquid from reaching the charcoal filter at the top of the pouch.
I’ve had mixed results with it on their smaller pouches due to them clogging up, but I do notice that these high-output pouches seem to have some extra layers to prevent output from heading towards the top of the pouch; this may prove to be more effective at preserving the filter’s function.
As with other Coloplast pouches, you will need to put a filter sticker over the front opening of the filter on these pouches to prevent water (i.e. from a shower) from clogging it).
As of Jan, 2018, I don’t see any options to go with a filterless pouch.
Coupling Options
The SenSura Magnum pouches only came in the two-piece style with a mechanical coupling that fits on the SenSura Click wafer.
These newer pouches come in one-piece, two-piece with adhesive, and two-piece with mechanical couplings!
All of these options fit existing SenSura Mio wafers, which is a bonus if you already use SenSura Mio products.
Lots of options to choose from, although using the two-piece pouch allows you to swap the pouch for a smaller bag during the day or during intimacy.
Extra Features
Having a large capacity is only one part of the story and the Mio pouches have more to offer.
Inspection Window
One of my favorite features on opaque pouches are inspection windows.
The regular SenSura Mio products were the first by Coloplast to offer this feature and I’m glad to see it on these larger pouches.
Inspection windows can be helpful when putting on your appliance (especially one-piece systems) as they allow you better visibility and less guesswork when you align your appliance over your wafer.
Inspection windows are also handy when you need to give your stoma a peek to monitor health or the output in the appliance.
Special Drain
Unlike wide outlets, which may be difficult to empty liquid output without causing a mess, these high-output pouches feature a special “spigot” that allows you to control the flow as you empty it by squeezing the base of the outlet.
The outlets look similar to Coloplast’s urostomy bags, but the spout is larger on these high-output outlets because they are intended to drain stool from the pouch.
There are actually two styles available in these pouches:
- Wide-lumen/Hard Outlet, which works well in most cases.
- Soft outlet/Universal Connection, which can be attached to a night drainage bag if needed.
It suffices to say that these pouches are designed to handle liquid or loose output, so they are better suited to ileostomates and not recommended for colostomates.
Folding Drain
While the outlet on these pouches can hang down quite low, Coloplast allows you to tuck it neatly under the cloth material in a special slot they added.
This may not seem like a big deal, but it’s always nice to have the ability to shorten your appliance in certain situations.
Is it Right for You?
At the time of this writing (Jan 2018), these pouches seem to cost approx. two-times what the other Sensura Mio products costs, which is significantly higher (i.e CDN$14 / pouch).
The cost may be prohibitive for some people, especially those paying out of pocket. You may be able to extend the life of these if you only use them at night by rinsing and reusing your two-piece pouch, otherwise, these should last you about as long as other Sensura Mio products you may have already been using.
If you’ve woken up throughout the night to empty your appliance, I think it’s worth at least exploring this option.
And if you have a stoma that’s very active, these pouches may also benefit you.
For more information on these and other Coloplast products, please visit https://www.coloplast.ca in Canada. Contact your local Coloplast office to see if/when they will be available in your country.
i have opted to go the coloplast route as far as products go…. and there good! if there has been problems for me its due to improper application or i moved to much and broke the seal and casued seepage and didnt change my appliance soon enough and cause skin damage… yada yada yada i love reading the product reviews on this website it is insightful and helpful. however coloplast there are a few things i dont understand about you??? i have had problems with seepage from day one. i am very good with taking instruction and methodology of process. thats the sort of thing i do daily in my profession!! the ET nurse measured my stoma while i was in the hospital to ensure that i would have samples waiting for me, sweet!. so as part of the process the ET nurse sent my stoma measurements to coloplast… mean while i am going threw the process of changing appliance and measureing and looking at product guides and what i determined was that i needed a cut to fit wafer 10-45mm with a 50mm coupling. coloplast you have my measurements!! when i arrived home all the samples that i received where the wrong size??? i recieved from coloplast a cut to fit 10-35mm with a 40mm coupling?? anyone else have these problems?? i feel like i get the run around everytime i talk to them?? have you done this and this and if you say yes i have done all that, then they come around oh well this is a product that may suit your needs…. its like bread crumbs why dont you tell me about the latest and greatest??? i just dont get it???
Hey ileo_chopper. Are you getting these supplies from Coloplast directly or through a medical supplier? Do you know the size of your stoma? Sometimes, your stoma will be fine regardless of the flange size, but it is nice to be consistent.
i get my supplies threw can med direct. since i have been having problems i have been communicating directly with coloplast. they will not sell to you directly. i do know the size of my stoma, the ET nurse measured in the hospital and sent them to coloplast thats why im so confused?? about getting supplies that are the wrong size? and yes thats what im going for is consistency… still need some more time is all.
I found that the transparent pouch is better than the other, because I can use Osto EZ vent with it. The other makes it almost impossible to attach one.
KathyMac GOD SAVE THE USA GOD BLESS OUR POLICE OFFICERS
Hi. I am currently using this high output system. It really nice, but I wanted to know which night drainage bag can be used with this pouch?
Hi Gurwinder. Only the Soft outlet/Universal Connection will work with a night drainage bag, but you’ll want to contact Coloplast to see what options will work for you. The only night drainage products they have on their website are either for urostomy or attaches to the flange (different system).
Just make sure you match up the pouch to the baseplate as they have different sizes. Not interchangeable. Found out hard way. Call Coloplast to make sure you get the right baseplate that fits pouch you use. Kathy MacPherson GOD SAVE THE USA GOD BLESS OUR POLICE OFFICERS
Actually, Kathy, the really neat thing about these high-output bags is that you don’t have to swap the actual bag out (like you need to with the Assura night drainage bag). You should be able to simply attach a drain to the end of the outlet (only the soft one) and have it drain into a larger bag or container. I have other systems that include the actual drain part, but I don’t know what options Coloplast has for this application specifically. :)
I have tried the nighttime collection bag and felt “cornered” with it. I still have a problem with the “click” – getting it to stay together. I superglue the 2 pieces together and use it as a one-piece. Whatever works and this works for me. Everyone finds a system that works for them or adjusts a system – adapt and prevail :) KathyMac GOD SAVE THE USA GOD BLESS OUR POLICE OFFICERS
Hey guys. I ended up contacting coloplast and they sent me a sample of the 14010 night drainage bag. It works with both soft and tap outlets(I use the coloplast 18601 pouch).They also included this hanging clip if you will that is called Conveen 5070. With it you can hang it. I just hang on the side of my bed. It seems like when you hook up the pipe for the drainage bag to the outlet on the pouch that it will definitely fall off so I just wrapped the pipe end and pouch tap with some 3m micropore tape. With the tape it won’t fall out and now I can finally have a good night sleep. There is not really any information on the web about it so I thought I will write this post to help anyone else who might me wondering.
Great info, Gurwinder. Thanks for sharing. With the tubing on the night drain bag, it seems like you have to have liquid output for it to pass through trouble-free, correct? I know many urostomates use a similar setup, but they don’t have to worry about clogging those tubes like ileostomate/colostomates do.
Yes. I usually have liquid output. It’s a lot easier to drain the pouch in my opinion. It passes through the tubing just fine. I always had a problem during the night with the pouch ballooning with gas so even if my pouch was empty, it would be full of gas, during the day it wont do it. The coloplast filters go bad really quickly so the gas wont escape. I was always worried that I might get a blowout. So far that hasn’t happened but now with the night drainage bag I am worry free.
I disagree. I use the hard outlet and attach a night bag aka fistula bag. If you are talking about attaching a night urostomy bag that is different. I’ve been doing for 5 years now.
Best thing about high-output pouches is 8 hours uninterrupted sleep.
Found the best high-volume pouches for me. Had a chance to try the Coloplast Assura High Output Click pouch (#8114) and had to use the wafer #2881. Through EBay, I got 5 boxes of 10 pouches per box for total of $50 (free shipping). The Wafers come in boxes of 5 and cost about $25/box. The fit is phenomenal and I finally figured out the click system. I still use the Brava tape extenders just for my own peace of mind, even though I have never had any product from Coloplast leak. Getting average of 5-days wear time, too. No skin problems at all. I also still like the fact I don’t have to use all the other stuff – adhesive remover wipes/sprays, adhesive wipes/sprays, powder, etc. I received the one piece high-volume sample from Hollister. Booo. Within about 12 hours, it leaked – as per usual from my experience with Hollister products. Just reporting on my success.
That’s wonderful, Kathy! I’m so glad that setup has been working for you!!
I have been using these pouches for a month now (2 piece) and I have finally managed to get a full nights unbroken sleep. Usually, I am up at least twice over night emptying my large size sensura mio pouch and always felt tired on a morning but no longer!
As I live in the UK, I get all my stoma equipment free, so cost isn’t a consideration for me. Base plates usually last between 24 to 72 hours for me so I can interchange the high output pouch with a large pouch for use during the day. I rarely suffer from peristomal skin issues with ths mio baseplate but I do use a 2 piece system because of previous issues with pancaking and multiple leaks at night.
I would say that if you do have to fund yourself these pouches are worth the extra cost if you are desperate for a full nights sleep!
Hi Rachel!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m glad to hear that you’re getting more sleep!
Thanks for the reviews .. These pouches are awesome, but Coloplast wafers don’t last more than a day or so for me…planning on trying the newer Coloplast Sensura Mio wafers, hope that perhaps can get better wear time from those. Without going into to much detail, with my ostomy situation I have found the absolute best wafer for me is the moldable convatec natura durahesive ( 421041) long wear time, no leaks ever…but, the pouches that match that wafer don’t hold much output..found out by accident that a hollister high output pouch ( hollister 3874) actually fits perfectly to the convatec 421041 wafer..So I get long wearing, no leak wafer with a high capacity pouch.. I do prefer the high capacity Coloplast pouches, but as mentioned, wear times with the matching wafer is low..will be trying Coloplast sensura mio click wafer..hopefully will work well, then can use the Coloplast pouches…Again, thanks for the forum and your reviews.. maybe you can pass along fact that the hollister 3874 line fits/connects perfectly to convatec 421041 flanges.
I’ve heard of others using a similar combination! So glad to hear that works for you. I have an article on mixing and matching adhesive coupling, but not these mechanical couplings. It’s more difficult to know which are compatible because there are many variations across the globe, but I am making note of which are compatible 😀
Coloplast products give me usually 4-5 days wear time of which I am very happy and truly thankful. I guess everybody’s skin is different when it comes to the adhesive. As mentioned before, since using Coloplast products, my skin has totally cleared and I have never had even as much of a rash or evidence of breakdown in the skin since… Keep looking for your combination of products until you find one that you can claim your own. Praying for you to find that.
Kathy GOD SAVE THE USA GOD BLESS OUR POLICE OFFICERS
Got my first samples of large pouches Mio Flex 2-piece system. First one leaked where the 2 attach to each other at the bottom area. Fixed that by using some Super Glue around the area where the 2 attach to each other. Never ever had a problem with them attaching firmly and staying adhered to the skin. Now with use of Super Glue, no leaks at all – the system is unable to be separated. This is the 4th day and so far, so good. The larger pouch has afforded me a good night’s sleep – at last. No more jumping up every time I turn over in bed with a pouch that feels like it is going to explode at any minute. I still put an Osto EZ Vent on – just in case their vent plugs, but so far, so good. I am going to keep it on and see how many days I can get this. Absolutely no skin breakdown. NONE. System firmly adhered to skin. I do use the Coloplast extender C-shape strips as an added measure of security just for my own peace of mind, but that is just me. I have found Coloplast products are absolutely a God-send – having had HUGE failures with Hollister and Convatec systems. I went from totally discouraged and depressed to happy me. Hope you find a solution soon.
Kathy GOD SAVE THE USA GOD BLESS OUR POLICE OFFICERS
Very good to know. I was just telling my ostomy nurse yesterday that I wish you could use a coloplast bag with a Hollister new image wafer. I love the square cloth like large barrier on the Hollister, but the high output with soft tap outlet bag I don’t particularly care for. It is hard to use with out getting all over your hand. Then your left with only one had to tear toilet paper or get Kleenex.
Just had Coloplast send me samples. Can’t wait. I have very high amount liquid output. Sold on Coloplast – everything I tried. Just wish they would have given me Coloplast products in the beginning, but as my visiting nurse told me, the Hospital only uses Hollister products – which gave me nightmares for 6 months – leaks. So happy I found Coloplast. Will let you know how they work after I get them. Oh, thanks for all you do for ostomates.
Thank you! And yes… please let me know how it goes! Good luck!
Hey Eric: First high-output pouch (Mio Flex) developed a leak where the lower portion of the pouch separated from the wafer. Solved that problem by using Super Glue where the pouch adheres to wafer. I also am using wafer extenders (they do give me a greater sense of assurance; however, never really had any Coloplast product come away from the skin. I like the sense of security they give. I also just received my B. Braun samples and like their coupling system. I notice they offer a high output system, too. I will be contacting them to send me samples of those and will report on them after I test them out – provided they send those to me. I am interested in wear time, ease of use, etc. Again, thanks for all your help. I am now to a point where I sometimes forget I even have a stoma to deal with. I also finally have cutting the correct size hole in the wafer down to a science (yeah). TTYL
Kathy
Good luck! I also have the b braun samples and will do a video on them at some point. I have checked them out to compare with these yet. Interested in hearing how they work for you.
Will get back to you soon. Again, thanks.
Kathy GOD SAVE THE USA GOD BLESS OUR POLICE OFFICERS
The Coloplast 1-piece high volume pouch finally available in America – disappointed. The volume seemed about the same as their regular 1-piece system – required emptying often. Also, the little area where you can “hide” the spigot is hard to manipulate and I had to tear the side to slide the spigot in out of the way then use tape to keep it in place. Timing couldn’t have been better, though. I received the Convatec 1-piece high volume pouch system: Esteem drainable pouch transparent 12 inch #4416908 – InvisiClose Velcro. Easy to put on and seems to be holding well to the skin. Only problem is their Velcro does not hold and I ended up using the clip to keep it closed. I had tried other Convatec products in the past without much success and lots of leaks, poor wear time, skin breakdown, etc. I am very pleased with this one. They sent 3 samples to try and I am still on the 1st one. If this system fails, I will go back to the Coloplast Click 2-piece high-output system (pouch 8114 and flange 2881). I found that by clicking the 2 pieces together before putting the appliance on – works great for me and stays in place. I have a problem getting the flat flange to “click”. Also, with all my appliances, I use the Brava barrier strips – just for my own piece of mind. I also use the KEM EZ Vent on all pouches.
That’s too bad about the size of the Coloplast bags, Kathy.
I don’t have any high-capacity ConvaTec bags, but I may request samples just to see how they look! I’m surprised they use velcro on their high-capacity bags – I can’t imagine velcro holding the weight of a full bag!
Well, I called Convatec and they told me to pinch the Velcro together instead of slide my finger across it to make it stick together – that worked well and holds beautifully – even with a full pouch. I am very happy with this and in fact, just placed my 3-month order for them along with my other supplies EZ Vents and Brava strips). I still use the Osto EZ vent on all pouches as I found filtered pouches clog up too easily and don’t work after one day. Oh, wear time is running between 3-5 days. Also, Convatec must have changed the formula for their adhesive as I had no skin problems whatsoever – “smooth as a baby’s butt”. Just for my own peace of mind, I still use the Brava strips on the pouch edges – also for my own peace of mind. I do that mainly out of the nightmare of using Hollister products – blahhhhh/boooo – nothing but leaks, skin breakdown and having to use all the other stuff with their products. No more paste or wipes or powders, etc. All the extra supplies (as mentioned as well as boxes of Hollister pouches and wafers) I donated to my surgeon – they have some patients who don’t have a lot of extra funds to buy supplies or insurance that doesn’t pay and they were very thankful.
Showering: One more thing – I found that I can keep my appliance dry by using a ZipLoc bag. I put it on from the bottom and slide it up until it totally covers the appliance. I than run a piece of HyTape (or any other waterproof tape on hand) across the top to seal the ZipLoc bag and voila – stays completely dry.
Have a wonderful Easter weekend and safe travels.
Kathy MacPhersonGOD SAVE THE USA GOD BLESS OUR POLICE OFFICERS
I tried them in November, I’ve been hospitalized so I taught why not try it… works pretty well, Coloplast sent me light convex 1 piece. I had an MRI and for the first time I didn’t need to run to the bathroom with a bag ready to explode lol! Perfect for the night too. It’s a bit big but I really liked them until I found out the price.. I use soft convex mio (about 10$ each) and for those new bag it was almost 20$ each!!! I don’t have insurance so, too bad ;)
Yes, the cost surprised me too. I don’t know how the prices compare with similar products from other brands, but I will look into that as I expand on my content surrounding these products.
If it gives the user a comfortable nights sleep that’s what its made for.
For those with high-output stomas, these pouches are a God send! I’ve seen what happens when someone who has a very active stoma can’t empty their regular pouches fast enough.