Skin complications are a common problem among people living with a stoma. The main cause of skin complication is from stoma output leaking onto the surrounding skin. Once somebody has an ostomy skin complication, they must continually place an ostomy bag onto broken, damaged skin. Because the landing site for the ostomy bag is damaged, the bag might not stick properly, causing further leaks, meaning that the skin does not have a chance to heal. Also, this can result in an increased risk of the ostomy pouch falling off, so it has a major impact on quality of life.
Ostoform, through the H2020 SME Instrument, is developing a novel solution to help prevent stoma output from contacting the user’s skin – The Ostoform Seal with FLOWASSIST Protection. The solution uses a combination of absorbent and non-absorbent materials to direct the flow of stoma output into the ostomy pouch, thus keeping the user’s skin healthy and improving the quality of life for people who use an ostomy pouch.
Through the H2020 project, Ostoform will conduct a user trial and build on its data to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the new device. By the end of the project, the design and manufacturing method will be finalised, and distributors will be identified for device commercialisation.