One or two piece?

two piece - definitely.
It is far easier to see what you are doing when you are changing appliances, particularly so in early days out of surgery as your stoma and abdomen may be changing.
Also - I like to be able to switch out bags, if they get kind of gross every few days, but not have to change the wafer - which for me stays on about 5 days.
And lastly, being able to switch to different types of bags without changing the wafer is a huge benefit. For example, I wear midi size bags during the day and often switch to normal (larger) size bags at night. Also a lot of people might switch to smaller bags or even closed end bags for swimming or backpacking, etc.

And I have never had a bag tear.. but now it will probably happen just because I said that!

Eric- so glad you are getting on with things and moving forward. Keep asking those questions and we will do all we can to help guide you to get you on the road again!

Two Piece,

I use coloplast sensura with the click lock system. I use phoenix ostomy belts, click lock system allows me to rotate the bag and wear it sideways with the belt, and rotate it back to empty.

If you thinking of a phoenix belt, wait until your healed(swelling gone down)and get the custom made ones. The other adjustable ones I found to be bulky.

Eric I have been following your story, The worst part of the ileostomy is the first few months, healing weepy skin, finding a system that works.. how to keep it concealed.. ect.. after that is figured out, having an ileostomy is really no big deal.

trial and error... patience

Agree with everything Liz said. The only advantage I see of one piece over two piece is that it has a slimmer profile (lays flatter on your body), but there is no need to think about that in early days after surgery.

Some people say they like one piece better because with a two piece the bag can detach unexpectedly from the flange, but that just means you are using a ****ty two piece!

In any case, your insurance will probably only cover a month of supplies (maybe three) at a time, so you don't have to make the decision for the rest of your life, just for now.

Ok , I will make the case for one piece. I dont disagree with the posts previously written regarding the advantages of the two piece. They are pretty much all true but I found the advantages to of very minimal value, for me. I tried the two piece for all the reasons listed and found the two piece has those advantages but I just didnt need or make use of them. I did have a couple of leaks with the two piece at the connection due to operator error but they were still leaks. I think this is a minimal problem but none the less it is an additional possible leak point. I like the slightly lower profile but mainly the simplicity of the one piece. Suggest you try both which is what I did. I use Coloplast Sensura one piece with light convexity. I also use the Coloplast Brava half round seals on the flanges which work really well for extra security. You can get all kinds of free samples with a phone call to the manufacturer.

I think it matter how consistent the shape of your stoma is. Mine is always different and so I cut to fit each time. I feel more confident when I can put the flange on and see the fit is good and then put the bag on. Also being able to "burp" the bag is important for me because sometimes it fills up with gas quickly at times when a restroom is not nearby. I'm not sure what you do when this happens with a one piece system.