Ostomy pancaking is one of the most common issues that ostomates face. For some people, this problem might remain unresolvable, even after trying too many fixes. In this article, we will discuss different ways to avoid this bothersome issue.
What is pancaking?
Pancaking refers to the internal layers of a stoma bag coming together, resulting in a vacuum that prevents waste materials from dropping to the bottom of the bag. As a result, stool remains at the stoma level, heightening the risk of filter blockage. It can also cause an ostomy bag to come off.
Choose the right clothing
In most cases, the right clothing can be the answer to the pancaking problem. Ideally, you will want to wear loose-fitting pants with a tight waistband. You will need to make sure to have the waistband sitting just above the stoma. It will apply the necessary pressure to the top of the stoma bag. An adequate breathing space down the pants will allow your ostomy bag to form a hollow space at the bottom. This way, stools will slide towards the bottom of the bag more easily.
You can also fold the top of the ostomy bag and tuck it into the waistband. It will prevent the formation of space, which encourages the pancaking of the ostomy bag. This method will also prevent the accumulation of the stool around the filter.
The above techniques should work to prevent pancaking, but the time comes when they no longer work. It is probably because you need to empty or replace your ostomy pouch now. If that too is not the option at moment, you may want to find a private place to work your fingers on the bag to force-slide the stool down to the bottom. You will, however, need to be careful not to put too much pressure during the process to prevent the seal between the skin barrier and peristomal skin from weakening.
Some other practical tricks to prevent pancaking
You can address the pancaking issue by using some out-of-the-box tricks. You will, however, need to analyze your situation to make sure that whether or not any of these tricks are applicable in your case.
- Sometimes, you may want to inflate the pouch by blowing air into it. Then you will need to pull the inner walls of the bag apart from each other before wearing the ostomy pouch.
- Sometimes, the air inside the bag may escape from the filter as soon as you inflate the bag. It can result in the bag collapsing. You can roll up a piece of tissue paper to form a tube. Inserting this tube into the filter opening will reduce the amount of air leaking escaping the pouch.
- Lubricating the inner walls of the pouch are yet another method to reduce the impact of pancaking. The best thing about this approach is that it doesn’t necessitate keeping the inner walls apart. The lubrication will cause the stool to slide down to the bottom more smoothly. You can use baby oil or lubricating deodorants that are specifically made for ostomy supplies.
These methods should help you prevent the pancaking or its impact.
