Urostomy Pouch Basics

Urostomy pouching systems are designed specifically to make urine storage and disposal easy and safe. Learn essential information about urostomy pouches.

Learn how urostomy pouching systems work.

After your surgery, your healthcare team will talk with you in general terms about how most ostomy pouching systems work. You’ll have a few different options and your stoma care nurse can help you make the right choices for you. Below is some basic information that will increase your knowledge of urostomy pouching systems.

What makes a urostomy pouching system different

You may know that there are different types of ostomy surgeries, some of which divert fecal matter through the stoma. With a urostomy, your stoma output is limited to urine. For this reason, all urostomy pouching systems are drainable to help manage the frequent disposal of urine.

Urostomy Pouch Features

Here are some other key features of drainable urostomy pouches:

• They have a tap that allows urine to be drained frequently. Emptying the pouch is quick and easy.
• There are several types of taps, depending on the pouch. The tap can be a simple cap, a valve that twists or a plug that is pulled out.
• They are meant to be emptied when they are about one-third to half full of urine
• They feature an anti-reflux valve. This keeps urine from refluxing to the top of the pouch and eroding the skin barrier, which is a critical component that connects your pouch to the skin around your stoma.
• Some have chambers, which keeps the pouch from unsightly bulging between draining

Other urostomy pouching system considerations

Drainage while you sleep is another important factor in making a pouching system choice. Night time drainage options might include the use of an adapter that attaches to the end of your pouch. This diverts urine to a dedicated drainage collector just for nighttime use.

Make sure to talk to your stoma care nurse about following good hygiene when draining or changing your pouching system to avoid infections. You should also discuss a skin care routine to help keep the skin around your stoma healthy.