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Ostomy

 

 
 

Sometimes treating diseases of the digestive or urinary systems involves removing all or part of your small intestine, colon, rectum or bladder. In these cases, there must be a new way for wastes to leave the body. The surgery to create the new opening in the abdomen is called ostomy. The opening is called a stoma.

There are many different types of ostomy. Some examples are

  • Ileostomy: The surgeon removes the colon and rectum and attaches the bottom of the small intestine (ileum) to the stoma.
  • Colostomy: The surgeon removes the rectum and attaches the colon to the stoma.
  • Urostomy: The surgeon attaches the ureters - the tubes that carry urine to the bladder - to either the small intestine or to the abdominal wall.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

 

 

 
 
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