Patient Case Study No.3  (UK)  Confidence® Natural Drainable

PATIENT HISTORY

• 58-year-old female
• 2000 – Hartmann’s colostomy
• 2003 – Excision of rectum
• 2005 – Laparoscopic parastomal hernia repair, using a polypropylene mesh
• 2009 – Laparotomy and surgical repair of irreducible parastomal hernia (second complicated hernia repair)

OBSERVATION ON REFERRAL

• Recurrent bulge (Ref 1)
• Discomfort
• Dragging sensation
• Irregular bowel pattern, causing frequent pouch changes, thus causing occasional sore skin
• A poor body image

TREATMENT

The previous appliance was not satisfactory for the patient as it caused wrinkling, and leakages occurred due to poor adhesion from the bulkiness around the hernia.  This lady now chose to wear a drainable pouch due to her erratic bowel function, often requiring 3 or 4 pouch changes a day. This sometimes resulted in sore skin under the wafer.

OUTCOME

• Since using the new Salts Confidence® Natural with Aloe Vera, the skin is no longer sore, and she chooses to change her pouch daily.
• Wearing Confidence® Natural with its unique five-sided Flexifit® wafer and soothing Aloe Vera (Ref 2)
• Fits closely to her body shape, offering her a perfect fit
• Following her first stomal hernia repair, support pants were used to help support the abdomen. She found these comfortable to wear
• After the second hernia repair, an abdominal support was recommended, and she tried several commercial company corsets but found them quite uncomfortable. None helped with relieving her discomfort from the hernia
• After attending an exhibition, she found a new support belt, and since then, she wears it most of the time over Salts Simplicity pants (Ref 3)
• She feels the corset stops the dragging and supports and flattens the abdomen. This, hopefully, will prevent the hernia from getting worse, as well as giving her a better body image

CONCLUSION

• Parastomal hernia repair is associated with high rates of morbidity, mortality, and recurrence.
• The management of a parastomal hernia is a common clinical dilemma
• Comfort and security from leaks is paramount to the patient
• Using a stoma pouch that can provide this will enhance and improve quality of life
• Salts Confidence® Natural worked for this lady very well