answers
Depending upon your needs, the surgery will remove the part of your bladder (urostomy), small intestine (ileostomy) or large intestine (colostomy) that is too damaged by your medical condition to recover on its own.
During the procedure, your surgeon will also create a stoma, an opening on the outside of your abdomen for waste materials to leave your body. Your ostomy will, in most cases, improve your general health and get you back to living a full life.
When you have ostomy surgery, an opening called a stoma is created in the abdomen (belly).
Your stoma provides an alternate way for waste materials to leave your body. The location of the stoma depends upon the type of surgery you need.1
Depending on the disease or wound, an ostomy may be temporary (to allow for healing and a return to normal elimination) or permanent.2 Your doctor will tell you whether your ostomy will be temporary or permanent.
If you are having a colostomy or ileostomy, you will lose voluntary control of your bowel movements. If you are having a urostomy, you will not be able to control urination. These elimination processes will be contained by a discreet pouching system attached to your abdomen. Different pouching systems are available for different lifestyle needs.
It is very important to take proper care of your stoma and to make sure your pouching system fits correctly. Select your type of surgery above to learn:
