To visit the site please click the link below.

External Links:
The Stomawise website – http://www.stomawise.co.uk

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Taken from the Patient Choice website:

• Patient Choice Business is a new type of healthcare company; profits go to charity, and it only provides products and services that enhance [the] quality of life for patients.

• Patient Choice earns its income from the NHS through its appliance prescription service, Patient Choice Delivery. In addition we also supply natural rubber ostomy bags through Ward Surgical.

• The pharmaceutical industry has always attracted controversy, and with the supply of critical treatments and essential medical products providing unprecedented margins, it is often difficult to know who to trust.  All trading profits of Patient Choice Delivery go to funding projects to support patients in the UK and abroad.  To see some of our work please see the Patient Choice Foundation.

It certainly sounds a novel idea to us. There are so many medical services which have great ideas but end up sinking because of lack of money. And there are many Ostomates out there who are keen to give back to the medical community but maybe do not have the finances to allow a monetary donation, especially in this current era of austerity. Patient Choice brings those two areas together to the benefit of both.

It works by the Ostomate sending their NHS prescription to Patient Choice Delivery, who will dispatch them their prescription to the ostomates specific specifications,  but with one crucial difference – profits from the prescription are funnelled into the Patient Choice Foundation award fund, which in turn is then invested in deserving medical projects.

Its a win-win situation for all involved and helps UK ostomates contribute to charity without having to dig out their cheque books.

More information on the Patient Choice Foundation will be made available very soon when the individual services officially launch, but in the meantime you can learn a lot more about Patient Choice and their services via their website, linked below, and Patient Choice Delivery is available right now. They would also like to hear from any Ostomates who have suggestions for which projects should benefit from an award.

External Links:
Patient Choice Foundation:  http://www.patientchoiceuk.org/

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The Bad Tummy Foundation is a non-profit organization creating public awareness regarding all stomach diseases. They are advocating for research to find a cure and also provide positive support systems for all who live with these diseases.

The Bad Tummy Foundation has also recently partnered with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America!

The organization is honor of founder Marci Baron Flatt‘s Father as he fought Crohn’s Disease his whole life and died from the complications of the disease. Sadly, Marci too has the disease, and says:

[...] without this support system, I wouldn’t know how to deal with the everyday battles of the chronic pain. A support system is so important when dealing with these diseases.

If you suffer from any stomach or digestive disease such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis to name but just a few, why not pay a visit to the Bad Tummy Foundation‘s website or Facebook group.

External Links:
Bad Tummy Foundation Website: http://www.badtummy.org
Bad Tummy Foundation Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/BadTummyFoundation

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The full news announcement from the CA reads as follows:

REMINDER, Group move on Monday

A date for your diary – Monday 16th January, 2012 at 12 o’clock.

This is the day and the time that we will be moving.

You see, you may or not be aware that our CA group is an ‘open’ group. That means anyone can read what we are posting. Some of us will be showing posts and links to the CA Group in the right hand side of our Facebook pages which all our friends can see. Now, not everyone on the CA Group wants everyone to know what we are saying to each other. So we have decided to make the CA Group a ‘closed’ group. That way, what we write to each other will remain private.

 

Now being Facebook nothing is easy. You cannot alter the status of a group that has more than 250 members. We have 455 members today. So we have to close the current group – delete it – and open a new group which we will set up as a ‘closed’ group and everyone will need to rejoin this new group. It will be called the same as the existing group – Colostomy Association – and it will behave the same as the current group in terms of notifications. This is one of the problems with the Page we set up because it does not notify members of posts like the group does.

We have set 16th January, 2012 as the date in order that we can have enough time to get used to the idea of a move and what to do.

We will have to delete the existing group before we can set up the new group because we want to keep the name the same. But we should be able to do all this in a matter of minutes. Just search for Colostomy Association Group and ask to join. Myself, Duncan and Helen will add you to the group.

So that’s Monday 16th January, 2012 at 1200GMT

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Tidy Pal - the safe and hygienic temporary storage solution

Have you found yourself needing to change your appliance in a public toilet, or a bathroom outside your home, only to find that there are no hooks for you to hang your belongings or your change-kit? If so, Tidy-Pal might be for you. Although its not being marketed exclusively for the ostomy market, it was nevertheless designed by Ileostomate Michael Wood with the aim of meeting the needs of almost all ostomates who find themselves changing their pouch in the outside world.

The Tidy-Pal hooks over the top of any door, and provides you with an assortment of hooks and loops for you to hang your possessions and means you no longer need to worry about leaving your possessions on a potentially unhygienic toilet or changing room floors or your possessions being left dumped on beds or chairs.

For more information or to purchase the Tidy-Pal, please visit the product website. Tidy-Pal is available worldwide with shipping by UK Royal Mail.

External Links:
The Tidy-Pal Website: http://www.tidy-pal.com

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“When was the last time you heard the words fun and ostomy used in the same sentence? I’m betting never! I’m hoping to change that in my own little way. Maybe even spread a few smiles. I make these the old fasion way, one at a time with as much attention to detail as I can muster. Each one will be one of a kind.” – Alan, Fun Ostomy Belts

Fun Ostomy Belts is based in NY, USA. Please contact them directly for details of availability outside of the United States of America.

Ostomyland wishes Alan all the best for his new site and venture.

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For the full article, please visit chapter 17b from the lifestlye guide menu, or visit this link.

We’d love to read your comments on the article, so please feel free to leave your thoughts on what we’ve written about combating leakage via the comments form, or Facebook comments box at the bottom of the Combat Leakage page. Dont foget to “like” the page if you, um, like it.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy new year, and a happy and prosperous 2012.

Useful Links:
Ostomyland Editoral #2: Combat Leakage – Some Products You May Not Be Aware Of
http://ostomyland.com/mainsite/combating-leakage-some-products-you-may-not-be-aware-of/
Ostomyland Lifestyle Guide: Chapter 17 – Leakage / Skin Problems
http://ostomyland.com/mainsite/chapter-17-leakage-and-other-skin-problems/

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Named the Anterior Perineal Plane for ultra-low Anterior Resection (APPEAR for short – wheres the “e” come from?), the operation involves removing the diseased part of the bowel and surgically altering part of the remaining bowel to form a pouch to recreate the rectum.

Pioneered by Professor Norman Williams of Barts hospital, London, the operation takes five to six hours to perform. However the operation is not suitable for those with advanced bowel cancer, or severely damaged sphincter muscles, but for those who did have the operation as part of a multi-centre trial performed around the world, two thirds of the patients reported a success with normal function resuming within six months, and for some it was as little as two months.

You can find the article on the Daily Mail website. And for more information visit Bowel Cancer Research Organisation website, or if in the UK phone them on: 020 7882 8749.

Useful Links:
Source Article about APPEAR on the Daily Mail website:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2070375/New-bowel-operation-replace-colostomies.html
Bowel Cancer Research Organisation (UK):
http://www.bowelcancerresearch.org/

Update: 08 December 2011 – 10am.

This story has certainly caused a stir amongst our readers both here on the Oland community and on our Facebook group, and various other ostomy websites around the world too.

One question was raised which was not answered by the article: Whats the difference between the APPEAR procedure, and the current J-Pouch procedure. Now, Im no medical student, and I have no personal experience of the J Pouch other than being in the same hospital ward bay as people having it, or having ileostomies as a result of a pouch failure. So, I decided to do a search via the various medical research database sites to try and find the answer, and to be honest, very little freely available information is available. Theres only a couple of articles registered about the trial so far, and it costs over $50 to buy a copy, so all we have to go on is the various extracts.

Here are some quotes and links to the extracts I found, including links to where you can buy the article if you are interested in it yourself. From what I’ve read it seems that the operation would still be available even if you didnt qualify for a JPouch normally. So it gives more options for people I guess. If you do buy the article, and you find out what the differences are between the APPEAR procedure and a JPouch please do write in and let me know! You can email me here. The article extracts and page links are available below. (Click on Continue Reading… if it appears)

More Links and Quotes:
Bowelcancerresearch.org – Innovative Op Makes The News
http://www.bowelcancerresearch.org/news/index.php?article=33
This is a more indepth article focusing solely on the personal story of APPEAR patient, Louisa Smalley, whom was featured in the original Daily Mail article we featured yesterday

ClinicalTrials.gov - Anterior Perineal Plane for Ultra Low Anterior Resection of the Rectum (APPEAR)
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00534131?term=18438111+%5BPUBMED-IDS%5D&rank=1
This is the full trial application in the USA, detailing the three specific arms of the trial, along with its purpose and eligibility criteria. According to ClinicalTrials.gov the trial is still active and recruiting patients.

Pubmed.gov - Anterior Perineal PlanE for Ultra-low Anterior Resection of the Rectum (the APPEAR technique): a prospective clinical trial of a new procedure.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18438111?dopt=Abstract
This is the most commonly appearing article on Google, and it is available to buy to read at the link below (Annals of Surgery). However, here is the freely available extract summary of the  article.

OBJECTIVE:

The APPEAR procedure was developed to allow sphincter-preserving rectal resection for both benign and malignant pathology, which would traditionally require abdominoperineal excision or completion proctectomy, if treated by conventional means. This clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00534131) evaluated the short-term clinical and physiological results of this procedure.

METHODS:

Fourteen patients were enrolled, 7 with neoplasia, 5 with ulcerative colitis, and 2 with traumatic rectal damage. Patients were evaluated preoperatively, and at a median of 2 years after surgery.

RESULTS:

Nine of 14 patients underwent ileostomy reversal and were followed up for a minimum of 1 year, with 1 patient awaiting closure. Four patients have not yet been considered for ileostomy reversal due to anastomotic perineal fistulae. Transient sexual dysfunction was noted in 3 of 14 patients, but no urological problems occurred. When the APPEAR procedure was performed for neoplasia or trauma, postoperative median Wexner continence score was 5 (range 0-8, n = 6), with a median defecation frequency of 3 (range 1-8/day). All cancers were completely excised with no local recurrence. Following APPEAR with restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis, median Wexner continence score was 2 (range 0-6, n = 3), with a median daily defecatory frequency of 3 (range 1-5). Preoperative SF-36 scores did not change significantly following ileostomy closure, and anorectal physiological testing was unaltered following perineal dissection.

CONCLUSIONS:

The APPEAR procedure provides an alternative technique to effect an ultra-low sphincter-saving anastomosis, when this is not possible by conventional surgery. Morbidity was encountered and greater experience will be required to fully assess this approach. Nevertheless, this is a promising new procedure with the potential to reduce the need for a permanent stoma even further than is currently the case.

Annuls of Surgery – Purchase the journal article “Anterior Perineal PlanE for Ultra-low Anterior Resection of the Rectum (The APPEAR Technique): A Prospective Clinical Trial of a New Procedure”
http://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2008&issue=05000&article=00006&type=abstract
This is the medical journal website which you can purchase the article from. However, other websites will offer it to buy, and you can find them by searching the full title as shown above.

Pubmed - Anterior Perineal PlanE for Ultralow Anterior Resection of the Rectum (the APPEAR Technique): a video demonstration.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20039211
Finally, there is also a video demonstration of the operation available on the medical journal database websites, however it appears (no pun intended) that this is not free either, as I’ve not been able to find the video to play, but there is a text extract which describes the APPEAR procedure in a bit more detail. The extract reads:

Background:
Sphincter-saving rectal resections have become commonplace in the surgical treatment of malignant rectal pathology. However, restoration of gastrointestinal continuity by means of conventional techniques proves technically challenging in cases of very low rectal pathology, with resultant variable requirements for a permanent stoma. The APPEAR procedure (Anterior Perineal PlanE for Ultralow Anterior Resection of the rectum) is a novel sphincter-saving resection technique to restore gastrointestinal continuity in those who would otherwise require a permanent stoma with conventional abdominal resections. It ensures that the distal rectum is excised and the anastomosis is constructed under direct vision while simultaneously preserving the anal sphincter and its somatic nerve supply in their entirety.

Indications:
This procedure is indicated in the following instances: proven lower-third rectal carcinomas where anatomical restrictions prevent satisfactory rectal dissection and/or transection with a potential inadequate distal clearance margin; ileoanal pouch formation for ulcerative colitis or familial adenomatous polyposis where retained rectal tissue is at risk of future malignancy; short or strictured rectal stumps where pelvic dissection is hazardous and thus prevents restoration of gastrointestinal continuity.

Conclusions:
The APPEAR technique is a feasible alternative sphincter-saving procedure to further reduce the requirement of permanent stoma in the treatment for ultralow rectal pathology; however, it is appreciated that a larger study group with long-term follow-up is required. This technique should facilitate laparoscopic rectal resection because large and distal tumors can be dissected and excised through the perineal wound, ensuring adequate distal clearance and the anastomosis constructed under vision at an appropriate level. Furthermore, the requirement for an abdominal incision is avoided, improving cosmesis.

After a big google I’ve also managed to dig up a 2 page PDF document of the text for this “Video Demonstration”, which goes into detail of how the operation is performed, along with indications, procedure and phases. You can download this document here, from the link below:

Download – the accompanying text article for Anterior Perineal PlanE for Ultralow Anterior Resection of the Rectum (the APPEAR Technique): a video demonstration:
http://www.ostomyland.com/downloads/APPEAR-videodemo-fulltext.pdf
To Open Now: Click the link
To Save the File: RIght Click the link and choose Save As…

Should we find out any new information on the APPEAR procedure we will ofcourse let you know, as we’ll be keeping a close eye on this new operation.

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Hollister's Secure Start Newsletter

The Fall 2011 issue of the Hollister Secure Start newsletter is now available! In this issue of the digital newsletter you’ll find articles like these…

90 Years Strong
Hollister Celebrates 90 Years of Improving Quality of Life
It’s our 90th anniversary and we’re celebrating you, because you’re the one who helped make us the company we are today. By telling us what you need, letting us know what works and what doesn’t, and taking us along on your journey.

Secure Start Book Club
Living Well with an Ostomy
By Elizabeth Rayson
If you have an ostomy, you know that the practical aspects of ostomy care are just a fraction of your concerns. Elizabeth Rayson’s book,Living Well with an Ostomy, delves into those practical aspects, yet provides candid coverage of the things they might not tell you in the hospital.

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Ostomyland will be there as we have an exhibit table booked. This will be our second year at the CA Open Day and like last year we are looking forward to meeting many people, and hopefully spreading the word about Ostomyland a bit more around the patient community and manufacturers, and of course, offering advice and support to anyone whom requests it.

If you are at the open day please do pop by and say hi. Oland community moderator Sarah will be there, and hopefully senior admin Kathy will be around too. The open day starts at 9am and closes at 3pm. There are various speakers lined up for the day. The event is being held at Weetwood Hall, Leeds LS16. For full details please see the colostomy association website.

External Links:
Colostomy Association Website: http://www.colostomyassociation.org.uk

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