Patient/caregiver was educated on one piece ileostomy as follows:
- One piece ileostomy is a device in which the wafer and the ileostomy bag are fused together into one single unit. As they are fused into one unit, a defect in either of them leads to discarding & replacing the whole unit. This can result in early exhaustion of supplies, necessitating a quicker order for supply replacement.
- One piece ileostomy is comparatively inexpensive than a two piece ileostomy and so, is more recommended and covered by the insurance. For individuals paying out-of-pocket, the price difference between one and two piece could be significant, which makes one piece more preferred.
- Maintaining the inventory is comparatively easier with one piece ileostomy bags, as you are bothered with one single unit versus maintaining inventory of wafers and bags separately with two piece arrangement.
- One piece ileostomy bags are softer, more pliable, and so can be more securely fixed against difficult body contours. Two piece ileostomy bags can be a little rigid due to the plastic in the wafer & coupling ring and can be harder to fix in individuals with difficult body contours.
- Once secured in place, one piece ileostomy cannot be rotated to a desired position. So, one piece ileostomy bags need to be secured in a desired position to start with.
- High-output ostomies can be difficult to manage with one piece bags, as the weight of increased output volume in the bag can cause easy detachment of the bag, thus necessitating a replacement. Wearing an ileostomy belt can offer more security and contribute to longer lasting bag. Two piece ileostomy bags are more preferred to manage high-output ostomies.
- If an individual is producing too much of gas, separating the bag slightly from the wafer can allow burping the bag with two piece arrangement. Burping with one piece ileostomy bag can be performed by emptying the bag periodically, which can be difficult at times. Burping an ileostomy bag could also be performed by fixing an osto-ez-vent appliance on the bag. This appliance is a vent on the bag, which can be opened for gas to escape from the bag and closed back again.
