Improving quality of life for those living with a stoma.

 

Coloplast, a manufacturer of stoma care products, has launched SenSura Mio in Singapore. The product aims to improve the quality of life of ostomates, or those who have gone through an ostomy and are now living with a stoma.

An ostomy or stoma surgery is an operation that creates an artificial opening in the abdomen to allow waste and urine to leave the body. As a result of this operation, a stoma or an artificial opening is created, allowing faeces or urine, either from the intestine or the urinary tract to pass. There are three types of stomas related to the digestive and urinary system including colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy.

People who have undergone an ostomy are oftentimes survivors of severe diseases such as bladder cancer or Crohn’s disease, while others needed an ostomy after facing serious injuries. For millions of people around the world living with a stoma, an ostomy is truly a lifesaver.

Colorectal cancer, one of the most common types of cancer that affects millions of people around the world, sometimes involves removal of all or part of the colon and would require an ostomy after surgery. Many of these colorectal cancer patients will have a temporary ostomy after surgery but almost 10 percent of these patients end up having a permanent ostomy.

Whether temporary or permanent, adapting to life with a stoma is not easy. The feeling of isolation or self-consciousness are quite common for people who have gone through this life-changing surgery. Ostomates find themselves battling the stigma attached to people living with a stoma, while trying to achieve quality of life despite their stoma.

Fifty-two-year-old Kam Beng Chong, an engineer living in Singapore, has undergone ileostomy and recalls how hard it was for him to live with a stoma. He said, “Before I had my stoma surgery, I was very active. I go to the gym, meet up with friends and engage in a lot of social activities. But after the operation, I became concerned and worried because of the bad incidents I had with leakage after waking up and doing some heavy movement. Those times, I was not able to carry on and live my previous lifestyle.”

People living with a stoma have similar feedback, and these concerns can be addressed by using the appropriate products for stoma care. Now a user of SenSura Mio Deep Convex, Beng Chong has more confidence in doing his daily activities. He shared, “Finding the right product with such flexibility is a blessing. It allows me to have a normal life again, go back to the gym and do my workouts comfortably. After trying SenSura Mio, I noticed that the adhesive and flexibility made me more confident to go out and venture again. I am thankful to find a product that is good and suitable for me and my active lifestyle.”

The SenSura Mio range offers the right fit for all body profiles of people with a stoma: regular, inward or outward. Using the BodyFit technology, an elastic adhesive technology, SenSura Mio offers the right fit with its ostomy appliances to avoid leakage and skin issues. It features a secure body contact for protection and a flexible fit during movement while providing a discreet pouch solution.

Many ostomy patients have irregular abdominal surfaces, making it difficult to find a secure fit between the skin and the ostomy pouch. SenSura Mio addresses this issue by adjusting to the curves of a patient’s body despite uneven surfaces due to hernia, scarring, skin folds or weight issues. Different variants of SenSura Mio are available for all body profiles: SenSura Mio Flat for regular peristomal body profiles, and SenSura Mio Convex for inward peristomal body profiles. Depending on the challenges of each body profile, specific features have been added to the product.

 

** A set of bag and plate is between S$5 to $18, while supporting products are between S$1 to S$18 a piece. To purchase, go to hospitals pharmacies or through Coloplast website.