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.

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 CrownFistula 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.

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.

2025 Mayo Clinic Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Conference!

We’re excited to share that the Mayo Clinic will be hosting the 2025 Wound, Ostomy, and Continence (WOC) CNE Nursing Conference on April 22, 2025, in Rochester, MN.

Whether you're looking to engage face-to-face with colleagues or participate from the comfort of your own workspace, the conference offers both in-person and livestream (virtual) attendance options to meet your schedule and learning preferences.


Why Attend?

This conference brings together frontline clinicians, WOC specialists, and innovators to advance care in some of the most complex and critical areas of nursing.

Here are two sessions you won’t want to miss:


🔍 Fistula Management

This session dives deep into practical, patient-centered strategies for managing enteric fistulas. Learn to navigate the unique challenges these patients present and walk away with real-world solutions that can be applied immediately in clinical practice.


💡 Care of Ostomies: Basic to Advanced

Whether you're just beginning your journey in ostomy care or are looking to refine and enhance your skills, this session has you covered. Expect a broad spectrum of education, from foundational knowledge to advanced techniques, complete with clinical pearls and implementation strategies.


The Takeaway

This conference is more than a continuing education opportunity — it's a chance to connect with a passionate community committed to wound, ostomy, and continence care excellence.


✅ Ready to Register?

Secure your spot now and be part of this enriching experience:
👉 Click here to register

Blarney, Bows, and Bowels: A Lucky Lesson at ASPEN 2025

This St. Patrick's Day season, follow the rainbow to ASPEN 2025, happening March 22–25 in Columbus, Ohio—or join virtually from anywhere! Fistula Solution is excited about this year's conference, where the magic of learning meets the latest in clinical nutrition and gastrointestinal health.

One of the conference highlights you won't want to miss is Dr. Ajay Jain's captivating presentation on short bowel syndrome. This "pot of gold" session promises to uncover treasures of knowledge, including:

🍀 Gut-Systemic Signaling: Explore how the gut communicates with the rest of the body and the implications for patient care.

💕 Injury Mechanisms: Gain insights into how gut injuries occur and the latest preventative measures.

🚀 Cutting-Edge Therapies: Discover the newest treatments that are changing the landscape for patients with short bowel syndrome.

ASPEN 2025 is more than just a conference—it's an opportunity to connect, grow, and let the luck of learning be with you. Whether you're attending in person or joining us online, you'll gain valuable insights to enhance your clinical practice.

Don't miss this golden opportunity! Click here to register today!

Fistula Fiesta at WOW! Exploring Innovative Management Techniques for a Complex Challenge

Are you a dedicated healthcare professional seeking to expand your knowledge and skills in advanced wound care? Look no further! The Wild on Wounds (WOW) conference in Hollywood, Florida, is back with its impactful, hands-on wound care education. This year, the spotlight is on the "Fistula Fiesta" session - a unique opportunity to explore effective management techniques for the complex challenge of fistulas.

An Insightful Journey into Fistula Management

On September 16, 2023, the WOW conference will offer a comprehensive look into the management of fistulas. These challenging wounds can have a profound impact on both patients and their caregivers, making it crucial for healthcare professionals to stay informed about the latest advancements in treatment and care.

Unraveling the "Fistula Fiesta" Session

Designed specifically to address the complexities of fistulas, the "Fistula Fiesta" session will focus on the unique difficulties faced by patients and caregivers alike. Whether you're a nurse, a physical therapist, or an occupational therapist, this session will equip you with valuable insights and skills to effectively manage this intricate wound condition.

The Significance of Fistula Management

Fistulas pose significant challenges, often requiring a multidisciplinary approach to achieve the best outcomes for patients. Moreover, the psychological impact on patients and their families should not be underestimated. This session aims to illuminate the best practices in fistula management, empowering attendees to provide better care and support to their patients.

What You'll Learn

By attending the Fistula Fiesta session, you'll have the opportunity to achieve several key learning objectives, including:

  • Identifying three common types of fistulas that develop in patients.
  • Comparing different types of fistula management devices available on the market, allowing you to make informed choices tailored to your patients' unique needs.

Your Expert Guide - Emily Greenstein

Leading the Fistula Fiesta session is the experienced Emily Greenstein, APRN, CNP, CWON-AP, FACCWS, from Sanford Health in Fargo, ND. Emily's wealth of knowledge and expertise makes her the perfect guide to navigate the complexities of fistula management. With her board certifications in Wound and Ostomy Care and 14 years of experience, she is dedicated to advancing wound care practices and providing optimal patient outcomes.

Join the Fiesta, Enhance Your Expertise!

The Fistula Fiesta session at WOW promises to be an illuminating experience, providing you with valuable insights and skills to tackle the challenges of fistula management with confidence. Whether you're a seasoned healthcare professional or just starting your wound care journey, this session offers something for everyone.

Don't miss out on this enriching opportunity! Click here to learn more about the event and the Fistula Fiesta session.