Author: fistulasolution

Consistency in Complex Wound Teams: Themes Clinicians Discuss

Clinicians caring for fistula patients often describe how unpredictable each day can be. Even with experience and strong teamwork, certain challenges tend to repeat themselves. These shared observations highlight the fistula management themes that many clinicians say shape day-to-day practice and consistency across teams.

Unpredictable Contours and Evolving Anatomy

One of the themes clinicians mention most often is how quickly contours can shift. A fistula may look different at various times of the day, and openings may sit in irregular or hard-to-reach areas. These changes make consistency difficult, even when teams use familiar approaches.

Clinicians regularly describe this unpredictability as a routine part of complex care, not an exception.

Skin Protection as a Universal Priority

Another recurring theme is the importance of maintaining periwound skin. When the surrounding skin remains intact, clinicians say the rest of the care plan often feels more manageable.

This priority shows up consistently and is particularly important when fistulas evolve quickly or anatomy becomes challenging.

Variability Across Teams and Shifts

Clinicians also discuss how each shift may bring a slightly different perspective or approach, especially when output changes rapidly. 

Shared observations and consistent themes help create a more predictable experience for both clinicians and patients.

Shared Themes Strengthen the Clinical Community

These themes reflect what clinicians discuss often when talking about consistency in fistula management. Hearing these shared observations helps highlight the challenges clinicians encounter repeatedly and the areas that matter most in daily practice.

Conversations like these also shape the development of purpose-built options created for fistula anatomy. If you are interested in exploring tools designed with these challenges in mind, you can learn more about the Wound Crown, Fistula Funnel, and Isolator Strip in our Knowledge Center at FistulaSolution.com.

If you have general themes you see in your own practice, we welcome hearing from you. No patient details — simply the patterns you notice in your care.

Real-World Effluent Challenges Clinicians Talk About

Complex fistula care is unpredictable, and clinicians often discuss how real-world effluent challenges affect day-to-day routines and pouching success. Effluent isolation is rarely simple, and these conversations help us understand the patterns clinicians encounter most. Hearing these shared experiences also highlights where additional educational support may be helpful.

Irregular or Changing Wound Contours

Many clinicians describe fistulas that do not form predictable shapes. Openings may shift or merge, which can make seal reliability difficult. These changes may require adaptable options that support isolation in unpredictable conditions. Clinicians often emphasize the importance of approaches that can be adjusted as the wound evolves.

Protecting Periwound Skin

Periwound skin is highly impacted by effluent exposure. Even limited contact may contribute to irritation or reduced adherence. Clinicians often share that maintaining skin integrity supports patient comfort and the overall plan of care. When skin remains stable, teams note that other aspects of care become more manageable.

Reducing Improvisation Across Care Teams

Improvisation is part of complex care, but clinicians frequently note that it can be challenging to standardize across teams or shifts. Professional education resources such as Wound Care Today USA may help support a more consistent approach to effluent isolation. Consistency is a common theme clinicians highlight, especially in high-output or rapidly changing wounds.

Real-World Effluent Challenges in Practice

Effluent management involves ongoing problem-solving, and clinicians continue to demonstrate adaptability and commitment in complex care settings. Hearing these shared experiences helps strengthen the conversations we have as a clinical community and allows us to focus future educational resources on the topics clinicians identify most often.

If you have general insights or experiences to share about the real-world challenges of effluent isolation, we would love to hear from you. No patient details, simply the themes or situations you see in your everyday practice.

Want to explore more educational resources? Visit our Knowledge Center at FistulaSolution.com.

Everyday Heroes in Fistula Care: Proven Tips for Protecting Skin from Effluent

Putting the “S” in SNAP: Skin Protection

In the world of wound care, few tasks are as complex—or as meaningful—as caring for patients with enteric fistulas. Each day, clinicians step up with incredible dedication, skill, and compassion in protecting skin from effluent, fighting infection, and promoting healing. Their work may not always make headlines, but it changes lives.

One of the most important—and sometimes underappreciated—ways to make a difference? Protecting the skin from effluent.

Why Skin Protection Matters

The effluent from a small bowel fistula or high-output stoma is filled with potent digestive enzymes. When it comes into contact with healthy skin, damage can occur in a matter of hours—causing pain, infection risk, and dressing failure.

Our clinical heroes know that protecting periwound skin isn’t just about comfort—it’s critical for healing and successful containment. That’s why Skin Protection is the first “S” in the SNAP approach to fistula management (Skin and Sepsis, Nutrition, Anatomy, and Plan).

A Hero’s Tool: The Wound Crown

One of the most effective tools available for protecting skin is the Wound Crown—developed by Fistula Solution with feedback from clinicians in the field.

This flexible, clinician-tested device is designed specifically for high-output enteric fistulas and stomas. It helps manage effluent more effectively and supports long-term skin integrity.

Key features include:

  • A 1.5-inch center opening ideal for small bowel fistulas, ileostomies, or surgical drains
  • A flexible base that can be trimmed to fit unique anatomy
  • Optional skirt cuts for improved isolation and drainage
  • Compatibility with surgical drapes, barrier rings, and pouching systems

By directing output away from fragile skin, the Wound Crown strengthens the dressing system and helps create the healing environment every patient deserves.

🎥 See it in action: Watch how the Wound Crown protects periwound skin

Best Practices for Skin Protection

Outstanding care begins with great technique. Whether you’re a new clinician or a seasoned expert, small refinements in your process can lead to better results.

📋 Need a guide?
Download our free Dressing Change Checklist (PDF)
It’s a step-by-step walkthrough to help you get consistent, reliable results.

Final Thoughts: Small Steps, Big Impact

Protecting periwound skin may seem like a small piece of the puzzle—but for fistula patients, it makes a world of difference. With the right tools, sound technique, and your expert care, healing becomes possible.

To all the nurses, wound specialists, APPs, surgeons, and caregivers: you are the heroes of fistula care. We’re proud to support your mission with solutions that help you do what you do best—care deeply, act boldly, and heal skillfully.

Need Support or Supplies?

Not sure if your clinic or hospital carries Fistula Solution products? We’re happy to help you get what you need.

 Contact us to get started
Let’s work together to give every patient the protection they deserve.

Honoring the Heroes of Fistula Care: 4 Ways to Strengthen Skin & Sepsis Management

Caring for patients with enteric fistulas is no small task. Fistula care demands clinical skill, compassion, creativity, and above all, a deep commitment to protecting patients from complications like skin breakdown and infection. These daily challenges are met head-on by dedicated wound and ostomy care clinicians, nurses, and providers who embody the best of patient-centered care.

At Fistula Solution, we believe these caregivers are heroes. That’s why our tools and resources are designed to support their efforts—making complex fistula management more manageable, more effective, and more rewarding.

Let’s explore four common challenges in skin and sepsis management—and how purpose-built solutions can help you keep patients safer and more comfortable.

1. Moving Beyond Familiar Supplies

The Challenge:
Ostomy barriers and makeshift materials are often used because they’re readily available. But in fistula care, they can fall short—leading to leaks, skin damage, and increased infection risk.

A Better Way:
Choose devices designed specifically for fistulas. Tools like the Wound Crown, Fistula Funnel, and Isolator Strip are engineered to contain effluent, protect delicate skin, and promote healing from the start.

2. Prioritizing Effluent Isolation Early

The Challenge:
Escaping effluent can soak dressings and macerate surrounding skin, opening the door to irritation and infection—especially with high-output fistulas.

A Better Way:
Use containment-focused devices from the beginning. The Wound Crown and Fistula Funnel direct output into pouching systems, helping maintain a clean environment and protecting the skin you work so hard to preserve.

3. Tailoring Tools to the Patient

The Challenge:
Every fistula is unique. Yet many clinicians are left adapting general supplies to fit highly individualized anatomy and output patterns.

A Better Way:
Customize your approach with tools designed for different clinical needs:

  • Wound Crown: Ideal for small-bowel fistulas and ileostomies
  • Fistula Funnel: Great for isolating output near wound edges or in tight spaces
  • Isolator Strip: Effective for large, irregular wounds or multiple fistulas

Matching the right device to the situation leads to better containment, improved skin protection, and more predictable results.

4. Building Confidence Through Education

The Challenge:
Even the best devices won’t work if clinicians aren’t supported with training and guidance. Without it, technique issues can lead to frustration and setbacks.

A Better Way:
Empower yourself and your team with the Fistula Solution Knowledge Center. It’s full of real-world videos, application tips, and how-to guides—all created by clinicians, for clinicians. Because the more confident you are, the more confident your patients can be.

You Are the Solution

Every fistula patient deserves expert, compassionate care—and that starts with you. By focusing on Skin protection and Sepsis prevention—the first “S” in the SNAP fistula management framework—you’re improving lives every day.

Fistula Solution is here to support your work with the tools and knowledge you need to deliver extraordinary care.

 Explore our full line of devices and training materials in the Knowledge Center.

Want a deeper dive into the SNAP approach?
Check out this insightful literature review:
Enterocutaneous Fistula: Proven Strategies and Updates (Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery)
It highlights the power of effluent containment, skin protection, and individualized treatment—principles at the heart of everything we do.

A Closer Look: 3 Devices That Help Isolate and Heal Fistulas

When it comes to managing fistulas, not all tools are created equal.

For decades, clinicians have tried unreliable methods to manage effluent and protect surrounding skin. These improvised approaches often lead to skin breakdown, delays in healing, and frustration for both patients and providers.

Fistula Solution was created to change that.

Each device in the Fistula Solution lineup was designed by a Complex Abdomen Specialist with firsthand knowledge of the gaps in traditional care. The result? Three innovative devices that provide targeted solutions for fistula isolation and effluent management—built for real patients with real challenges.

Let’s take a closer look at each one.

1. Wound Crown

Best For: Single, small-bowel fistulas and ostomies

The Wound Crown is Fistula Solution’s original device and continues to be one of the most widely used tools in their lineup. It’s designed for straightforward, small-bowel fistulas or difficult ostomies that require consistent, reliable isolation.

Key Features:

  • Pre-shaped design that can be tailored to fit the patient
  • Can be used with all common accessory wound dressings
  • Helps direct effluent into a pouching system, helping the wound dressing to heal the wound.

This device is often the first choice for clinicians managing fistulas.

🔗 Learn more about the Wound Crown

2. Fistula Funnel

Best For: Small wounds with fistulas or fistulas without a stoma

Some fistulas develop in difficult-to-access areas—right up against a wound margin, for example. The Fistula Funnel was designed specifically for these cases. Its narrow base and tapered shape allow for precise placement without interfering with nearby tissue.

Key Features:

  • Ideal for tight or irregular spaces
  • Can be trimmed multiple ways to isolate different sized fistulas and redirect effluent into a pouch
  • Can be used to isolate medical tubes and drains

When placement options are limited, the Fistula Funnel gives clinicians a new, adaptable tool for control and containment.

🔗 Learn more about the Fistula Funnel

3. Isolator Strip

Best For: Large wound beds or multiple fistulas

Flexibility is key when managing complex cases. The Isolator Strip is a 14-inch, pliable strip that can be cut to length, shaped into a loop, or used to span side-to-side depending on the clinical need.

Key Features:

  • Easily customizable to fit wound shape or configuration
  • Can isolate multiple fistulas at once
  • Reinforces pouching systems and protects surrounding skin

This device offers maximum adaptability in even the most complicated abdominal wound environments.

🔗 Learn more about the Isolator Strip

Why It Matters

Each Fistula Solution device was created to provide clinicians with the tools they need to:

  • Isolate effluent
  • Protect the skin
  • Promote healing
  • Support better patient outcomes

By choosing a purpose-built device clinicians can improve comfort, reduce dressing changes, and restore dignity to patients navigating a difficult healing journey.

Explore More

Fistula Solution offers a growing library of clinical education, product demos, and application guides to help you get the most out of each device.

🔗 Visit the Knowledge Center to explore how each device works and when to use them.

Built by a Nurse. Designed to Heal.

The Story Behind Fistula Solution’s Life-Changing Devices

When it comes to managing fistulas, the standard tools haven’t changed much in over a century. Pouches, gauze, adhesives, and creatively improvised techniques are still commonly used.

But patients deserve more.

A Long History of Improvising

Fistulas have been around for centuries. One of the earliest documented cases dates back to 1825, when military physician Dr. William Beaumont treated a young man, Alexis St. Martin, who had been shot in the abdomen with a musket. With no modern options available, he used rags and leather strapping to manage the effluent.

Shockingly, similar improvised methods are still used today.

“Over the years of wound management, we really haven’t come all that far,”
explains Mary Anne, RN, Complex Abdomen Specialist and Inventor of the Wound Crown, Fistula Funnel, and Isolator Strip. “Many fistulas are still managed with gauze, frequent dressing changes, and adhesives.”

But complex abdominal wounds, especially enteric fistulas, require something built for the job.

Real Solutions for Enterocutaneous Fistula Care

Fistula Solution was created to address the gap between what patients need and what was available. The result is a lineup of clinician-designed devices that isolate effluent, protect skin, and support real healing.

These are not general supplies. They are purpose-built tools for patients facing real complexity.

The Fistula Solution Device Lineup

Fistula Solution currently offers three devices, each designed for specific clinical needs:

  • Wound Crown
    Ideal for single, small-bowel fistulas and high output ostomies. Named after Mary Anne herself, the “Fistula Queen.”
  • Fistula Funnel
    Designed for smaller fistulas or those located near wound edges.
  • Isolator Strip
    A flexible 14" strip that can be looped to isolate multiple fistulas or shaped to span wide wound beds.

Enterocutaneous fistula care devices from Fistula Solution
A closer look at the Fistula Solution device lineup: purpose-built tools that isolate effluent, protect skin, and support healing in complex abdominal wounds

Each device directs effluent into a pouching system, giving patients the freedom to eat, move, and heal without constant dressing changes or skin breakdown.

Why Our Approach to Enterocutaneous Fistula Care Works

Before these devices existed, clinicians were MacGyvering — cutting, taping, and adapting whatever was available.

“Now we have something that actually fits,”
says Mary Anne.

The devices from Fistula Solution are:

  • Easy to apply
  • Pre-formed for common clinical needs
  • Designed to isolate the fistula or ostomy and protect the skin

No more guesswork. No more frustration. Just real tools that support better outcomes.

What Clinicians Are Hoping to Achieve

Whether it’s a surgeon, WOC nurse, or wound care team, the goal remains the same:

Isolate the fistula. Contain the effluent. Support healing.

Fistula Solution helps make that process more predictable, more effective, and more aligned with the realities clinicians face daily.

Ready to Learn More?

Fistula Solution is proud to support healthcare providers across the country with devices that make a difference in complex wound care.

🔗 Explore our Knowledge Center for product details, clinician tips, and educational tools:

Additional Resources:

Smithsonian Magazine: The gunshot wound that changed medicine.

Fistula Fixes and Game-Changing Innovation at HEAL!

We’re excited to be heading to Las Vegas for the NAWCO HEAL Conference, and we hope to see you there! If you’re involved in fistula and ostomy care, don’t miss one of the most practical and insightful sessions of the week:

🎤 Fistula Fixes – The Latest and Greatest Innovations

Tuesday, August 19 | 8:00 AM
Presented by Mary Josephine Mosquera Famorca, RN, WCC, WOCN, Director of Nursing at Mayo Clinic Arizona

This session dives deep into the real-world challenges of managing enteroatmospheric fistulas (EAFs)—a complex condition that requires expert coordination across the care team. You’ll learn strategies for:

  • Medical stabilization and fluid management

  • Antimicrobial and advanced wound therapy

  • Nutritional and psychosocial support

  • Skin protection and effluent containment

  • Real-life case studies using innovative, adaptable devices

Whether you're a wound care nurse, surgeon, or interdisciplinary clinician, this session offers tools you can apply immediately to improve outcomes and patient quality of life.

👉 View Full Conference Details Here

Visit Fistula Solution at Booth #309!

Fistula Solution is proud to support clinicians managing enteric fistulas and high-output ostomies. Stop by Booth #309 to:

  • See our latest products in action

  • Learn how our tools are making a real impact in hospitals across the country

Let’s talk about how we can help support your fistula patients—no matter how complex the case.

See you in Las Vegas!
—The Fistula Solution Team

#HEAL2025 #Fistula #ComplexWounds

Fistula Management Takes Center Stage at WOCNext 2025!

Are you heading to WOCNext 2025 in Orlando? Whether you're a fistula management pro or new to this complex clinical challenge, there’s a can’t-miss session and some serious fistula fun waiting for you!

💡 Session Highlight: From Leak to Healing

Don't miss the collaborative session:
"From Leak to Healing: Optimizing Enterocutaneous Fistula Management" on Tuesday, June 3 at 10:20 AM. 

Led by Dr. Lilian Chen, MD, and Katherine Skiffington, RN, CWOCN, this session brings together both surgical insight and expert wound/ostomy nursing to explore real-world, multidisciplinary strategies. You’ll learn about:

  • Evidence-based approaches to ECF care

  • Advanced wound and skin management techniques

  • Nutrition optimization

  • Decision-making for surgical intervention

  • Pharmacologic considerations

  • Patient education and long-term support

🧠 It's an insightful, practical discussion grounded in experience—and sure to leave you feeling more confident in tackling complex fistula cases.

👉 Click here to view the full session details.

🎉 Visit Fistula Solution at Booth #529

We’re more than just exhibitors—we’re a community of clinicians, problem-solvers, and innovators passionate about helping patients with enteric fistulas and high-output ostomies.

Stop by Booth #529 to:
✔ Meet our team
✔ Explore our unique devices
✔ Get expert insights from clinical leaders
✔ Pick up resources (and maybe a few surprises!)

Whether you have a challenging case or just want to chat, we’re here to connect.

✨ See You in Orlando!

Let’s learn, connect, and keep pushing the boundaries of fistula care—together.
We can’t wait to see you at WOCNext 2025!

#WOCNext2025 #Fistula #ComplexWounds

Join Fistula Solution at ASCRS 2025 in San Diego!

We are excited to announce that Fistula Solution will be exhibiting at the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) Annual Scientific Meeting, taking place May 10–13, 2025 in San Diego, California!

If you're attending, we invite you to visit us at Booth #416 to meet our team, explore our innovative devices, and learn how we’re supporting clinicians in managing the most complex fistula and ostomy cases.

Don’t Miss the Enterocutaneous Fistula Symposium

One of the highlights of this year’s conference is the Management of Enterocutaneous Fistulas Symposium, scheduled for:
🗓 Monday, May 12, 2025
🕥 10:15 AM PT

Leading surgical experts will discuss:

  • Patient evaluation strategies

  • Medical management and optimization

  • New surgical techniques

  • When (and when not) to operate

  • The importance of a multidisciplinary approach

If you're passionate about improving care for patients with enteric fistulas, this session is a must-attend.
View full symposium details here.

Why Visit Fistula Solution at Booth 416?

At Fistula Solution, our mission is to make healing better for patients facing complex enterocutaneous fistulas and high-output ostomies. When you visit our booth, you’ll have the opportunity to:

  • See our specialized wound and fistula management devices

  • Talk with our clinical and product experts

  • Learn about new techniques that support challenging wound care cases

We’re passionate about collaborating with providers to improve outcomes and enhance quality of life for patients with some of the most difficult surgical challenges.

We look forward to seeing you in San Diego!
Let’s move fistula care forward — together.

#ASCRS2025 #Fistula #ComplexWounds

RAPID FIRE: Fistulas Hits SAWC Spring 2025 in Grapevine, Texas

Get ready for a high-impact educational session deep in the heart of Texas! Fistula Solution is proud to spotlight an exciting upcoming event at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC) Spring 2025 in Grapevine, TX — and trust us, this is one you won’t want to miss.

🔥 RAPID FIRE: Fistulas

📍 Grapevine, Texas
📅 Saturday, May 3, 2025
⏰ 5:10 – 5:35 PM

Led by the incomparable Mary Anne Obst, RN, BSN, CCRN, CWON, CWS, this 25-minute rapid-fire session is all about practical, hands-on strategies for enteric fistula management. Designed for busy clinicians who need real-world guidance they can put into practice immediately, the session features:

  • 📸 Photographic case studies of complex fistulas

  • 🧰 Step-by-step clinical techniques

  • 🧠 Insights from years of bedside experience

  • 💡 Pearls for both seasoned pros and those new to fistula care

Whether you're working in acute care, long-term care, or anywhere in between, this session is packed with tips to help you navigate the unique challenges of enteric fistulas with skill and confidence.

🤠 Why Attend?

Because "Don’t mess with Texas" applies to more than just littering — it’s also a reminder that enteric fistulas demand serious, informed care. This session delivers just that, in a compact, no-fluff format that respects your time and deepens your clinical impact.

📌 Plan Your Trip

SAWC Spring 2025 is one of the premier gatherings for wound care professionals across the country. If you’re attending, make sure RAPID FIRE: Fistulas is on your agenda.

👉 Click here for more information and to register

We'll see you in Grapevine — boots optional, clinical excellence required.