Air travel with a stoma (ileostomy or colostomy)

A stoma is a surgically inserted hole in your stomach through which urine and faeces can exit your body. It's part of the operation where your bladder or colon gets removed. There are approximately 102,000 such people in the UK alone. If you Google for 'stoma', don't look at the images (if you do, remember that I told you so).

When you have a stoma you use an appliance (bag) to catch and collect the urine or faeces; it is glued to your stomach and you change it usually once a day or more often.

Issue. Sometimes the appliances leak, worse, sometimes they fall off completely. The result is that BAM your body and clothes are soaked in urine and/or faeces. If it's a bad leak, your chair and possibly your neighbours are included in the mess. Air pressure, temperature, humidity, even the seat belt cutting in to the flange area all can cause a leak.

Here's two videos of young women who (bravely!) relate stories about their stoma leaks. Here and here These ladies were not on air planes and their videos are charming (and read the comments), and they were small leaks. But generally... it's a nightmare.

Lots of people do not fly because of this, some worry about the change in pressure causing the appliance to explode, but for most it's embarrassment. On the other hand some people must fly because of work or because they want to maintain family relationships.

The immediate remedy is to wear a level 3 stoma belt with a protector, but these are horrendously expensive and do not last for a long time (despite manufacturer's claims). And even the level 3 belt does not prevent the appliance from falling off when conditions are right.

Those with airline training or those travellers with a stoma (or have close relations with a stoma person), or simply those with some good ideas are asked: What are your travel tips for this situation?

And p.s., thanks to those brave ladies! Especially the one who got it on her boyfriend in HIS bed! And (heaven help us) ruined the carpet!