Most ostomates probably didn’t expect they’d ever come to dread the word ‘pancake’! Having a stoma comes with a unique set of challenges, most of which we have covered in our Stoma Problems blog. In this guide, we wanted to dig deeper into stoma pancaking which can be difficult to overcome for ostomates. Continue reading for our top tips to prevent pancaking in a stoma bag from the former stoma nurses on our team and conversations with patients. You will find out why your stoma bag is pancaking and how you can stop stoma pancaking.
A pancaking stoma is caused by firm stools sticking to the top of the stoma bag. Usually, stool should fall to the bottom of the bag but if it is particularly thick or sticky, or the bag has vacuumed, it can get trapped at the top around the stoma. This can make emptying or changing your stoma bag particularly challenging.
This can happen to people with a colostomy or ileostomy, although it is more common in those who have a colostomy. This is because, with a colostomy, the stool travels through more of the colon and so becomes thicker and more formed. Looser stools, more typical of those with an ileostomy, tend to slide down the bag much more easily.
Stoma pancaking can cause leakage because the stool builds up around the stoma and has nowhere else to go other than underneath the baseplate. This, in turn, can lead to skin problems and can even cause your stoma bag to come off. The filter may also get blocked which causes ballooning issues.
Clearly, a pancaking stoma bag can cause a lot of further issues, so it’s important to prevent it wherever possible. But before you can do that, you need to understand why your stoma bag keeps pancaking.
Stoma pancaking is usually caused by a lack of airflow into the pouch which causes a vacuum so the inner layers stick together and go flat (like a pancake – hence the name). This could be because your stoma bag filter is working too well and causing all of the air to leave the bag.
It is influenced by the consistency of your stoma output. Thick or sticky stools are more likely to get stuck at the top than loose ones. This is affected by which part of your bowel is redirected, as well as your diet. Learn more: Foods to eat with a stoma bag
So how do you stop pancaking in your stoma bag? Here are our top tips:
Contact your stoma care nurse if you are experiencing problems with a pancaking stoma. They can help you find the right combination of stoma products for you to mitigate the problem. They may also recommend medication such as stool softeners or laxatives (don’t take these without consulting a medical professional first).
Pancaking stoma advice from ostomates
Although all our articles are written alongside qualified medical professionals, this information is for guidance and does not replace advice given by your healthcare team.
