ostomy, (from Latin ostium, “mouth”), any procedure in which an artificial stoma, or opening, is surgically created; the term is also used for the opening itself. Usually ostomies are created through the abdominal wall to allow the discharge of bodily wastes when disease or injury has incapacitated a normal excretory channel. A rarer type of ostomy, such as the esophagostomy or the tracheostomy, is performed to introduce substances into the body or to aid breathing.
Ostomies are distinguished by the organ that connects to the outside; the most common types are colostomy, in which the lower part of the colon, or large intestine, is removed and the upper segment (usually) opened to the outside wall; ileostomy, in which the ileum, the final segment of the small intestine, is connected to the outside wall; and urostomy (or ureterostomy), in which a new channel for urine and liquid wastes is created (usually using a segment of small intestine) following removal of the bladder or ureters.
Ostomies may be temporary, to relieve strain on excretory organs damaged by disease, abdominal injury, or surgery, or they may be permanent, to replace normal excretory channels that are congenitally missing or that must be removed as treatment for cancer or another debilitating intestinal disease. Temporary colostomies and ileostomies are generally created by bringing a loop of the intestine near the surface of the abdomen and severing it, opening both ends to the outside. Once the reason for the ostomy has been eliminated, the cut ends of the intestine are rejoined in a second surgical procedure. A temporary ostomy may be maintained in place by naturally forming adhesions between the loop of intestine and the mesentery, a membrane lining the abdomen, and by performing sutures.
All types of ostomy require careful attention to cleaning the opening and to evacuation of waste, usually through an ostomy appliance, a self-adhering bag worn over the abdominal opening. In some procedures an internal collecting pouch made from body tissue may be created. One internal colostomy procedure allows the external opening to be covered by a simple patch but requires regular emptying by irrigation. Another internal procedure allows emptying through the anal sphincter.
Often the psychological impact of an ostomy is great, but most people with ostomies are able to lead normal lives.