A colostomy is a surgical procedure that involves connecting a part of the colon onto the anterior abdominal wall, leaving the patient with an opening on the abdomen called a stoma. In a colostomy, the stoma is formed from the end of the large intestine, which is drawn out through the incision and sutured to the skin. After a colostomy, faeces leave the patient's body through the stoma. A colostomy may be permanent or temporary, depending on the reasons for its use. The International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) is a system of classifying procedure codes being developed by the World Health Organization. ... ICD-9-CM Volume 3 is a system of Procedural codes. ... Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a huge controlled vocabulary (or metadata system) for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences. ... Procedure codes are numbers or alphanumeric codes used to identify specific health interventions taken by medical professionals. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Large intestine. ... The abdominal wall represents the boundaries of the abdominal cavity. ... The abdomen in a human and an ant. ... In medicine, a stoma (Greek - plr. ... The large intestine, an organ which is now more commonly referred to by its Greek name, the colon, is the last part of the digestive system: the final stage of the alimentary canal in vertebrate animals. ... Cutting is the separation of a physical object, or a portion of a physical object, into two portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. ... For other uses, see Suture (disambiguation). ... Rabbit feces are usually 0. ...

Indications

There are many reasons for this procedure. Some common reasons are:

• A section of the colon has had to be removed, e.g. due to colon cancer requiring a total mesorectal excision, diverticulitis, injury, etc, so that it is no longer possible for feces to pass out via the anus.
• A portion of the colon (or ileum) has been operated upon and needs to be 'rested' until it is healed. In this case, the colostomy is often temporary and is usually reversed at a later date, leaving the patient with a small scar in place of the stoma. Children undergoing surgery for extensive pelvic tumors commonly are given a colostomy in preparation for surgery to remove the tumor, followed by reversal of the colostomy.

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Large intestine. ... Diagram of the stomach, colon, and rectum Colorectal cancer includes cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix. ... Total Mesorectal Excision (or TME) is a standard technique for treatment of colorectal cancer, devised some 20 years ago. ... Diverticulitis is a common digestive disorder particularly found in the large intestine. ... This article is about the bodily orifice. ... Grays Fig. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A pelvic tumor is any one of numerous tumors that occur in the pelvis. ...

Options

Placement of the stoma on the abdomen can occur at any location along the colon, the majority being on the lower left side near or in the sigmoid colon, other locations include; the ascending, transverse, and descending sections of the colon.^{[citation needed]} The abdomen in a human and an ant. ... The sigmoid colon is the part of the large intestine after the descending colon and before the rectum. ... In anatomy of the digestive system, the colon or large intestine or large bowel is the part of the intestine from the cecum to the rectum. ... In anatomy of the digestive system, the colon is the part of the intestine from the cecum to the rectum. ... The Descending Colon passes downward through the left hypochondriac and lumbar regions along the lateral border of the left kidney. ...

Colostomy surgery that can be planned ahead often has a higher rate of long-term success than those done in emergency surgery.^{[citation needed]}

Colostomy with irrigation

People with colostomies who have ostomies of the sigmoid colon or descending colon may have the option of irrigation, which allows for the person to not wear a pouch, but rather just a gauze cap over the stoma, and to schedule irrigation for times that are convenient. To irrigate, a catheter is placed inside the stoma, and flushed with water, which allows the feces to come out of the body into an irrigation sleeve. Most colostomates irrigate once a day or every other day, though this depends on the person, their food intake, and their health.^{[citation needed]} The sigmoid colon is the part of the large intestine after the descending colon and before the rectum. ... The Descending Colon passes downward through the left hypochondriac and lumbar regions along the lateral border of the left kidney. ... Catheter disassembled In medicine, a catheter is a tube that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel. ...

Colostomy without irrigation

Colostomies are viewed negatively due to the misconception that it is difficult to hide the pouch and the smell of feces, or to keep the pouch securely attached.^{[citation needed]} However, modern colostomy pouches are well-designed, odor-proof, and allow stoma patients to continue normal activities. Latex-free tape is available for ensuring a secure attachment. People with colostomies must wear an ostomy pouching system to collect intestinal waste. Ordinarily the pouch must be emptied or changed several times a day depending on the frequency of activity; in general the further from the anus the ostomy is located the greater the output and more frequent the need to empty or change the pouch. This article is about the typesetting system. ... An Ostomy Pouching System (also colloquially, and incorrectly called a Colostomy Bag) is a medical prosthetic that provides a means for the collection of waste from a diverted biological system (Colon, ileum, urinary); pouching systems are most commonly associated with colostomies, ileostomies, and urostomies. ... This article is about the bodily orifice. ...

Alternatives

In some rare situations it may be possible to opt for an internal colo-anal pouch which eliminates the need for an external pouch.^{[citation needed]} In place of an external appliance, an internal ileo-anal pouch is constructed using a portion of the patient's lower intestine, to act as a new rectum to replace the removed original. A United States Army soldier plays table football with two prosthetic arms Jon Comer, professional skateboarder with a prosthetic leg. ... An ileo-anal pouch, sometimes referred to as a j-pouch or a w-pouch, is an internal reservoir formed by connecting the end of the small intestine (the ileum) to the rectum. ... The rectum (from the Latin rectum intestinum, meaning straight intestine) is the final straight portion of the large intestine in some mammals, and the gut in others, terminating in the anus. ...

See also

• Ileostomy

An ileostomy is a stoma that has been constructed by bringing the end of the small intestine (the ileum) out onto the surface of the skin. ...

External links

• United Ostomy Associations of America
• An honest and humorous description of life after a colostomy
• Ostomyland – Interactive Ostomy community, covering Colostomy, Ileostomy and Urostomy
• Living with a Colostomy – Informational sister site to ostomyland.com. Detailed Colostomy lifestyle guide covering before, during and after the op
• My colostomy story and some colostomy pictures