Ileostomy
The “ostomy” surgeries refer to procedures where a portion of the bowel is re-routed from its normal path to the rectum and allowed to drain through an artificial opening made in the abdomen. This opening is commonly referred to as a stoma.
The first part of the word comes from the section of bowel used to connect to this opening; in this case, it is the ileum, or the end of the small intestine.
Ileostomy surgeries often result from a lack of any length of healthy bowel between the ileum and the rectum with which two sections can be made to connect.
Patients having undergone one of these procedures may need to wear a bag to collect excrement from the stoma site. Many patients worry that the bag will emit a bad odor or that it will not seal properly, but the modern apparatuses available are actually quite good at taking care of both of these problems.
An ileostomy can be temporary or permanent.
Comments
Comment from crohner
Time: April 13, 2009, 6:05 pm
Thanks for the comment Chris! You make a good point - I’ve edited the post accordingly.
Comment from Chris
Time: April 8, 2009, 8:04 pm
I’ve been looking over your site, very impressive collection. I happened upon this “Ileostomy” page and found an error if you dont mind me pointing it out. I’ve had crohns for 11 years, and when it was found (through a dr error who thought it was the appendix causing me so much pain) they performed and ileostomy. But I have not ever had to wear a bag. A bag is not always needed after an ileostomy.
Just wanted to say that, but the site is great!