This question is among those most frequently asked, particularly by ileostomates and urostomy patients. Like many other questions, there is no one answer that applies to all ostomates.

An informal survey revealed that people change their appliances as much as 3 times a day, and as infrequently as every 2 to 4 weeks. Obviously, there must be reasons for this great variation. After pointing out that the great majority of ileostomy and urostomy patients change in the range of once daily to once a week, let us explore some of the reasons. People on either side of this spectrum can have a skin problem or skin which is nearly indestructible. Some of the reasons for the variation in time between changes include:

Stoma length: A short stoma exposes the adhesive material to moisture which decreases wearing time.

Amount or consistency of effluent: Profuse effluent tends to loosen the seal.

Skin Type: Moist or oily skin tends to decrease adhesion time.

Skin Irritation: Decreases adhesion. The appliance should be changed more frequently to evaluate the success of your attempts to heal the skin.

Experience: Good technique, such as allowing glue (adhesive) to dry well, increases adhesion.

Personal Experience: Preferences, convenience and odor control.