An ostomy is an opening on the abdominal wall for waste products to move out of the body. Surgeons create it when a medical condition is so severe that an ostomy offers a better alternative.
About the Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract
To really understand an ostomy, it helps to know a little about the body’s anatomy. The gastrointestinal tract begins with the esophagus (the tube connecting the mouth and stomach) and continues through the stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), rectum, and anus. Food is swallowed in the esophagus, mixed and churned in the stomach, and digested and absorbed in the small intestine. The waste leaves the small intestine as liquid. The colon absorbs water from the liquid material and stores the remainder as formed stool until it is passed voluntarily out of the body through the rectum.
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What is an Ileostomy?
An ileostomy is the creation of a passage that brings the end of your small intestine through an opening in your abdomen. The end of the intestine is sewn into place on your lower abdomen— usually your right side—with surgical stitches called sutures. You will have no control over the gas and stool coming out of the opening, which is called a stoma or ostomy. A bag or pouch worn over this opening (attached by adhesive) collects all the gas and stool. Usually people who have an ileostomy have had their colons (large intestines) removed because of Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn’s disease. Sometime, an ileostomy is a temporary measure to keep the stool away from a leak lower down in the intestine or to protect an area while it heals.
Educational Materials and Instructional Videos
Important Points in Ileostomy Care