How to Get the Right Fit With Convexity

As a healthcare professional, informing and reassuring ostomy patients is an integral part of your responsibilities. At Hollister, we aim to help you do this by providing clear information that you can quickly refer to and share with patients.

These three guides cover the subject of convexity. Convexity is a word patients may hear without always understanding what is meant, especially in the early stages of living with a stoma. With these guides in-hand, you will have the resources you need to answer their questions, explain options, and allay any doubts.

Using convexity and assessing when it is required

Making sure a pouching system fits is a priority for anyone living with a stoma. Convex skin barriers may play an essential role in providing a good seal around the stoma, avoiding leakage, and giving product users peace of mind.

This resource explains the basics of convexity, beginning with a clear definition: what it is and how it works. It goes on to discuss how a convex skin barrier can increase the wear time of a pouching system by enhancing fit.

The next section provides a simple patient assessment methodology that can assist in determining the need for convexity. It also details the various convex product options available and how to make sure a convex skin barrier is right.

Finally, this information sheet explains some factors that may influence convexity decisions. It includes the presence of different health conditions, changes to the stoma or peristomal area, and the patient's weight.

Where a soft convex skin barrier may improve fit

This resource features and illustrates eight different cases in which the patient may benefit from the use of a soft convex skin barrier.

Some clinical considerations to use a soft convex skin barrier include:

• Parastomal hernia with flush stoma
• Firm abdomen with pressure injury from use of a firm rigid convexity
• Stoma located in a crease
• Stoma located in abdominal folds
• Stoma height less than 20mm (2cm)
• Immediate post-op stoma with firm distended abdomen and off-centered lumen at risk for mucocutaneous separation
• Loop stoma
• Pyoderma gangrenosum

It ends by detailing the soft convex skin barrier options available from Hollister, and the different ways in which they can be used to improve fit.

The continuum of convex barrier options

The Hollister ostomy product range offers different types of convex barrier shape solution. Deciding which one is most suitable for a patient is not always a simple matter.

This resource illustrates and describes the different options available, and discusses the criteria for product selection. It includes the position of the stoma, the shape and rigidity of the abdominal wall, the nature of the stomal protrusion, and the contours of the peristomal area.

Different convex barrier options are shown, including the addition of a barrier rings. Each appears alongside a possible clinical case scenario that would lead to the selection of that option - while making it clear that the clinicians’ professional assessment and recommendation is needed.

Visit our Professional Resources section regularly for the latest patient guides and ostomy.