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What Does Ostomy Mean?

An ostomy is a surgical procedure used to create an opening in the abdominal wall so that waste products may move out of the body safely. It is generally performed when a disease or surgery has made normal elimination impossible.

  1. What Is an Ostomy?

    • Sometimes treating diseases of the digestive or urinary systems requires removing parts of the small intestines, colon, rectum and/or bladder. In some cases bodily wastes must be eliminated from the body in a different way because of such surgery. This is when an ostomy is performed.

    When Is an Ostomy Performed?

    • A number of conditions can lead to ostomy. In cancer of the liver and rectum, trauma, obstructions of the bowel, complications involving diverticulitis, and Crohn's disease, an ostomy is often the best and safest treatment.

    Different Types of Ostomy

    • There are several types of ostomies. According to MedlinePlus, some examples of ostomies are ileostomy, in which the surgeon removes the colon and rectum and attaches the bottom of the small intestine to the stoma (the opening from the ostomy); colostomy, in which the surgeon removes the rectum and attaches the colon to the stoma; and urostomy, in which the surgeon attaches the ureters to the small intestine or to the abdominal wall.

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