What Is An Ostomy?

An ostomy is a surgical opening in the abdomen, known as the stoma.

It connects a part of the intestine to a small prosthetic pouch worn outside the belly. This allows urine and stool to exit the body.

Types of Ostomies

There are two common types of ostomy procedures.

Colostomy

This type diverts the flow of stool away from an area of the colon because it's medically necessary to do so. It can be short-term or permanent, based on how severe your IBD is.

During a colostomy, your surgeon will:

• Make an opening in the belly to access part of the colon, also known as the large intestine.
• Take the large intestine outside of the abdominal wall to create a stoma. The stoma then allows for stool to pass into an outer pouch that you wear under clothing.
• At the same time, they may also remove a part of your colon.

Ileostomy

This type of ostomy helps you pass digested food through the stoma if your rectum or colon don't work as they should. An ileostomy can be short-term or permanent, based on how severe your disease is.

During an ileostomy, your surgeon will:

• Make an opening in the belly to access part of the small intestine.
• Stitch part of the small intestine to the abdominal wall to create a stoma. This allows waste to pass through the stoma and into a pouch outside the body.
• At the same time, they may remove part or all of the colon or large intestine, or a section of small intestine.

Who Might Need an Ostomy?

People with certain bowel diseases may need:

• Partial or full removal the colon.
• Partial removal of the intestine.
• To redirect waste away from a diseased part of the small intestine or colon so it can leave the body properly.

These diseases include:

• IBD (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease).
• An obstructed bowel.
• Bowel injuries or severe infections.
• Rectal or colon cancer.
• Diverticulitis.
• Uncontrollable bowel movements.

Life With an Ostomy

Diet

Right after surgery, you may need to alter your diet to manage your bowel movements. As you heal, you should be able to resume your normal diet.

Some people have food intolerances that cause:

• Changes in the thickness of waste in the pouch.
• Bloating or gas.
• Bowel obstructions, but this is rare.

Tip: Chew your food well and stay hydrated.

Physical activity

After you fully heal, you can resume a wide range of activities. Though, you may need a special belt or guard to protect the stoma for some contact sports.

Speak with your doctor before playing sports or resuming any other physical activities.

Your ostomy shouldn't impact your day-to-day routine, such as:

• Doing household chores.
• Commuting to and from work or school.
• Getting dressed.

Wearing the ostomy pouch

Most ostomy pouches are discreet enough to wear under almost any type of clothing. As you get used to wearing it, you'll figure out ways to keep it concealed.

A few tips:

• Empty your ostomy bag when it's about half full. This way, the pouch won't inflate under your clothes and become visible.
• Explore health care supplies such as pouch deodorants, sprays, or drops to help reduce any odor.
• Talk to your ostomy nurse about different pouch systems that best fit your lifestyle.

Relationships

Ostomies shouldn't interfere with a person's intimate relationships.

To return to your pre-op level of intimacy, talk with your partner as openly as you can so you both feel comfortable.

Learn more about intimacy after healing at ostomy.org.