I’m a big fan of stoma guards, because they can come in handy in so many situations, but their design often creates a few challenges.
In this review, I’ll be looking at a unique stoma guard called the StomaDome.
Disclosure: I was contacted by the company Stoma Lite LLC, who sent me one StomaDome, and Velcro Crescent stickers that go with it for this review. They’ve had no input into the content of this review, nor do I receive any compensation for any products sold.
Table of Contents
Video Review
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About the StomaDome
Product name: StomaDome Security Shield + Velcro Crescents
Made by: StomaLite LLC
Dimensions: 9.2 cm (3.625″) wide x 6.5 cm (2.55″ tall) x 1.58 cm (0.625″) deep.
Weight: 7.2 grams.
Quantity per box: Available as: 1 StomaDome + 52 Velcro Crescent stickers, or 2 StomaDomes + 104 Velcro Crescents, or 52 Velcro Crescents on their own (you still need a StomaDome).
The StomaDome is made in the USA by SomaLite LLC., and it’s been created with the aim of addressing some of the common concerns you tend to find with other stoma guards, namely their size and comfort.
Unlike most other stoma guards on the market, the StomaDome does not rely on a belt or band to keep it secure, instead it attaches to a velcro sticker placed on the front of your ostomy bag.
This concept can work for and against the StomaDome, but I find that it depends on how you use it. I’ll explain this later in the review.
How I Use the StomaDome
As I mentioned, the StomaDome doesn’t need a belt or band to keep it in place, but it does need a velcro sticker, which can be ordered together with the guard or as a separate item (there are 52 in a pack).
Each velcro sticker is meant to be affixed to your pouch for a long as you wear your pouch. This is a good thing if you use the same pouch for many days, however, it can become inconvenient and expensive if you change your bag once (or more that once) a day.
Aligning the guard can be tricky, and I’ve had a few instances where the guard was applied a bit on an angle, so I’d suggest using a mirror.
If you do manage to get it off-center, you won’t be able to re-apply the velcro sticker, and the guard will be less effective at protecting your stoma from impact.
One issue I have with the StomaDome, is that it slides around your bag, rather than stay put. This becomes even more of a challenge if your bag has a cloth fabric. When I do wear opaque pouches with this guard, I’ll cut part of the cloth away and place the StomaDome directly onto the plastic in order to minimize this movement.
While I’ve used this guard on several different two-piece appliances, the “sliding” described above does make me worried about using it on a one-piece, since the plastic flange of a two-piece creates a safe clearance for the StomaDome to move around on.
How Does It Perform?
While I have been able to use this guard in situations where my stoma was often being hit and hard (i.e. on amusement park rides), I feel like I wouldn’t have the same protection from hits that were in a sliding motion (i.e. rock climbing).
This is mostly due to the fact that because the guard isn’t being held in place, it easily shifts around (as I mentioned above).
Most guards work best when your pouch is completely empty, mainly because they reduce your pouch’s capacity.
This guard is no exception to that rule, but while it doesn’t reduce the capacity of your pouch, it does sag and/or lift as your pouch fills, and that reduces its ability to work as a guard quite substantially.
Based on the very compact design of this product, you’d expect it to keep a low profile under clothing, but I found that the opposite is true some time.
Because the guard isn’t being held down by a band or belt, it can sometimes stick out further than a thicker guard that is being held in place.
This can be worse when you have a cloth-covered, opaque pouch, but with that said, you can get a much lower profile by wearing an ostomy wrap or specialty garment, like the Stealth Belt, together with the guard.
Speaking of the Stealth Belt, I’m happy to report that the StomaDome is compatible with the Stealth Belt Pro that I use, and it’s one of the few guards I’ve seen that works with it. Using it with the Stealth Belt also keeps the guard in place better (and avoids much of the shifting I referred to earlier).
Another great feature is the fact that this is the only guard I’ve seen that works well under most pouch covers. I often wear the StomaDome on a clear pouch with a pouch cover over it without any trouble. That’s a nice bonus!
If you’re an ostomate who prefers to wear guards on occasion, the StomaDome is small enough that you can keep it in your ostomy travel kit or purse for use when you need it.
As you can see from the comparison below, it’s by far the smallest guard I’ve reviewed thus far.
My stoma rests high above my trousers’ belt line, and since the StomaDome is really small, I can’t offer much feedback on how it works with clothing.
If you’ve got a low stoma, then this guard may help you to wear a belt more comfortably; I prefer to wear larger guards that protect my bag from pinching if I’m wearing it under clothes.
On a special note, I would like to say that I’ve been able to use this guard on well over 100 rides varying from large roller coasters, to aggressively fast rides, to the drop tower, and even rides that spray you with water, and I’ve had no trouble.
In fact, because of the low profile of this guard, the harnesses on these rides were quite comfortable
Conclusion
At the time of this writing (Jan 2022), the StomaDome can be purchased for US$49.95, and you’ll get 52 Velcro stickers to go with it.
As I mentioned earlier, your mileage will vary on those stickers depending on how often you replace your pouch, but the StomaDome itself will last many years.
The company lists international dealers on their website, including quite a few in Canada.
Like other guards (and accessories in general), you likely won’t be able to claim this with your insurance company.
Pros:
- The guard is inexpensive (see cons regarding the Velcro stickers though).
- Compact and low profile (with an empty pouch).
- It’s very lightweight.
- Does not reduce pouch capacity.
- Does not require a belt or band, which also means it won’t add extra heat/sweat around your waist.
- Can be used with pouch covers.
- Easy to remove (the guard).
- Works with ostomy garments, including the StealthBelt and wraps!
- Does an excellent job protecting my stoma on amusement park rides.
Cons:
- Slides around when applied to an opaque pouch.
- Requires consumables (Velcro stickers), which equals ongoing costs.
- Doesn’t feel as secure as a belted guard.
- Doesn’t feel as comfortable under a waistband like larger guards are, but this also depends on stoma placement.
- Can be a little awkward to center during application.
Recommended for certain situations, but not for everything.
This guard has a lot of things going for it that you simply don’t find in other guards, but at the same time, I can think of a lot of situations where this wouldn’t be my first choice for protection.
If I had to classify it, I’d call it a “lite-duty” guard that works best in low-risk situations. While I’ll continue to take this guard out to the amusement park, I would hesitate to use it during contact sports.
For more information on the StomaDome, please visit: www.stomadome.com
Question: Have you used this guard? What has your experience been like?
Hi Eric. I used mine just last week for riding roller coasters (Lagoon Amusement Park in Salt Lake City, Utah). In fact, I’m putting it back on tomorrow and Thursday for more of the same. So far, amusement parks are the only reason that I’ve used this (or any) guard. About a month ago, I was at the park, and on one of the roller coasters, an attendant pushed the black bar down very hard right onto my stoma, and it locked there. Not wanting to cause a scene, I just let it be. I was not wearing my guard that day, and I spent that ride (and the rest of the day) trying to stick my hand between the bar and my stoma for some protection. Silly thing is that I had this guard sitting in a drawer at home. Last week’s rides with the guard were very different. I felt very protected and did not obsess over my stoma at all. It was great, and I was very comfortable on all of the rides.
I do also find that it does move around when the outer layer of the bag moves. I wear a wrap from Ostomy Secrets, and it tends to solve most of that issue for me. Also, I keep my bag pretty empty, so that helps to prevent the sagging and displacement of the guard.
Overall, I like the guard, but only wear it for rides. I’d love to wear it for normal everyday use because I really like the protection, but I find that it makes my stoma pretty obvious through my shirt. That’s not a big deal, but I really like to avoid bulk there when I can.
Take care. I’ll ride some roller coasters tomorrow for you!
@glenn-giroir Awesome stuff! Yes, please ride one for me 😄😄😄🎢🙆♂️
Hi Eric… thank you for all your reviews, I’m three months in now with my colostomy and your input is very helpful. I agree completely on the stoma dome… the fact that it moves and presses against the sides and top of my stoma, due to the bag movement is uncomfortable. However I find it extremely helpful when wearing it with my stealth belt while swimming/boating… and my ostomy secrets daily flex belt. As these limit it’s movement. Thanks again!
Glad it works for you :)
Eric, I found this really interesting, thank you. Your a bit of dare devil in the park aren’t you? Good for you. Not me at all. Anyways, if that pretty young lady behind you is yours, tell her I said she is pretty young lady. So blond! Watch out Eric…she will get older quickly!I was wondering if the sliding would settle if you placed some velcro dots on the piece that is stuck to your tummy and the material facing it, maybe in three or four places. Craft stores and sewing stores cell them with sticky behind them and I think that might hold the bag in place allowing the guard to stay put. Have you thought of wearing the guard on a bit of a sideways direction under the covers you wear? Myself, I would be interested in using this item when I travel, I have made my own seat belt covers with foamy on each side, and this helps for my issues to some degree. When I travel I do not drink as many fluids as I would like and therefore I get a thicker output that wants to ride up before going down. So I think the stoma guard, if it stayed in one place would be good for kind of forcing the stuff down into the bottom rather then up. What do you think?
The problem is that there’s no real way to prevent the front face of your ostomy bag from sliding without applying pressure on the face of it (which is how other stoma guards work).
You may be able to secure the back of your bag with some velcro dots, but the front would still slide.
If you do end up trying these and you find a way to make them better, please let me know!
So, I am looking for a guard I can wear in conjunction with stealth belt pro for running. During mild runs I have noticed aggrevation from stealth belt only. Is this a good solution?
I haven’t found an adequate hard stoma guard that works well with any horizontal support band. The hybrid StealthBelt is a compromise, as it offers built-in stoma protection.
The problem is that you really can’t put a hard guard over the belt – it would have to go inside of it, and that would greatly restrict the flow of output and cause pancaking and/or leaks.
When you say you notice aggravation – do you mean the belt rubs on your stoma or is this happening in other places?
A possible option to help with the stoma dome sliding around is to apply a strip of Velcro tape over top of the dome (and even a cross pattern) with a corresponding Velcro tape on the inside of the stealth belt, pouch cover or equivalent product. It may help prevent shifting of the dome. A couple of my clients have done this with the Convatec stoma guard as an alternative to wearing the one inch belt over top of the stealth belt or pouch cover. Medical tape is used to hold down the wings of the stoma guard onto the pouch.
Hi Neal, thanks for the tip!
I know that many ostomates are crafty, and find ways of getting certain products to work better for them, so I appreciate the suggestion.