BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuIleostomy - what to ask your doctor Ostomy - what to ask your doctor; What to ask your doctor about ileostomy or colostomy; Colostomy - what to ask your doctorYou have had an operation to create an ileostomy or colostomy. Your ileostomy or colostomy changes the way your body gets rid of waste (stool, feces, or "poop").IleostomyAn ileostomy is used to move waste out of the body. This surgery is done when the colon or rectum is not working properly. The word "ileostomy" come...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article You now have an opening in your belly called a stoma. Waste will pass through the stoma into a pouch that collects it. You will need to take care of your stoma and empty the pouch.Below are some questions you may want to ask your health care provider to help you take care of your ileostomy or colostomy.QuestionsWill I be able to wear the same clothes as before?What will the stool look like that comes from the ileostomy or colostomy? How many times a day will I need to empty it? Should I expect an odor or smell?Will I be able to travel?How do I change the pouch?How often do I need to change the pouch? What supplies do I need, and where can I get them? How much do they cost? What is the best way to empty the pouch? How do I clean the bag afterward? Can I take showers? Can I take a bath? Do I need to wear the pouch when I bathe?Can I still play sports? Can I go back to work?Do I need to change the medicines I am taking? Will birth control pills still work?What changes do I need to make in my diet?What can I do if my stools are too loose? Are there foods that will make my stools more firm?What can I do if my stools are too hard? Are there foods that will make my stools looser or more watery? Do I need to drink more liquids?What should I do if nothing is coming out of the stoma into the pouch?How long is too long? Are there foods that may cause blockage of the stoma or opening? How can I change my diet to prevent this problem? What should my stoma look like when it is healthy?How should I care for the stoma every day? How often should I clean it? What types of tape, creams, or paste can I use on the stoma? Does insurance cover the cost of ostomy supplies? What should I do if there is bleeding from the stoma, if it appears red or swollen, or if there is a sore on the stoma? When should I call the provider?Open ReferencesReferencesAmerican Cancer Society website. Ileostomy guide. www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/ostomies/ileostomy.html. Updated October 16, 2019. Accessed February 10, 2023.Raza A, Araghizadeh F. Ileostomy, colostomy, and pouches. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 117.AllVideoImagesTogLarge intestine anatomy - illustration One of the important jobs of the large intestine is to absorb the remaining water from the food residue passing through the intestines. The residue that is left remains in a semisolid state and is propelled toward the rectum by peristalsis. Through reflexes which are triggered by a full colon, feces is eliminated from the body.Large intestine anatomyillustrationIleostomy - stoma and pouch - illustration An ileostomy is used to move waste out of the body through a surgically-created opening called a stoma. This surgery is done when the colon or rectum is not working properly. The word ileostomy comes from the words ileum, which is the lowest part of the small intestine, and stoma, which means opening. To make an ileostomy, the surgeon makes an opening in the belly wall and brings the end of the ileum through the opening. The ileum is then attached to the skin. The stoma is connected to a pouch, which needs to be emptied several times a day and changed periodically.Ileostomy - stoma and pouchillustrationLarge intestine anatomy - illustration One of the important jobs of the large intestine is to absorb the remaining water from the food residue passing through the intestines. The residue that is left remains in a semisolid state and is propelled toward the rectum by peristalsis. Through reflexes which are triggered by a full colon, feces is eliminated from the body.Large intestine anatomyillustrationIleostomy - stoma and pouch - illustration An ileostomy is used to move waste out of the body through a surgically-created opening called a stoma. This surgery is done when the colon or rectum is not working properly. The word ileostomy comes from the words ileum, which is the lowest part of the small intestine, and stoma, which means opening. To make an ileostomy, the surgeon makes an opening in the belly wall and brings the end of the ileum through the opening. The ileum is then attached to the skin. The stoma is connected to a pouch, which needs to be emptied several times a day and changed periodically.Ileostomy - stoma and pouchillustrationA Closer Look Ulcerative colitis - InDepth(In-Depth)Talking to your MD Ileostomy - what to ask your doctor Self Care Ileostomy - caring for your stomaRelated Information Crohn disease(Condition)Ulcerative colitis(Condition)Colorectal cancer(Condition)Intestinal obstruction repair(Surgery)Large bowel resection(Surgery)Small bowel resection(Surgery)Ileostomy(Surgery)Total abdominal colectomy(Surgery)Total proctocolectomy and ileal-anal pouch(Surgery)Total proctocolectomy with ileostomy (Surgery)Bland diet(Self-Care)Ileostomy and your child(Self-Care)Ileostomy and your diet(Self-Care)Ileostomy - caring for your stoma(Self-Care)Ileostomy - changing your pouch(Self-Care)Types of ileostomy(Self-Care)Ileostomy - discharge(Discharge)Living with your ileostomy(Self-Care)Small bowel resection - discharge(Discharge)Total colectomy or proctocolectomy - discharge(Discharge)Ulcerative colitis - InDepth(In-Depth)Crohn disease - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 1/31/2023 Reviewed By: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Ileostomy - what to ask your doctor Ostomy - what to ask your doctor; What to ask your doctor about ileostomy or colostomy; Colostomy - what to ask your doctorYou have had an operation to create an ileostomy or colostomy. Your ileostomy or colostomy changes the way your body gets rid of waste (stool, feces, or "poop").IleostomyAn ileostomy is used to move waste out of the body. This surgery is done when the colon or rectum is not working properly. The word "ileostomy" come...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article You now have an opening in your belly called a stoma. Waste will pass through the stoma into a pouch that collects it. You will need to take care of your stoma and empty the pouch.Below are some questions you may want to ask your health care provider to help you take care of your ileostomy or colostomy.QuestionsWill I be able to wear the same clothes as before?What will the stool look like that comes from the ileostomy or colostomy? How many times a day will I need to empty it? Should I expect an odor or smell?Will I be able to travel?How do I change the pouch?How often do I need to change the pouch? What supplies do I need, and where can I get them? How much do they cost? What is the best way to empty the pouch? How do I clean the bag afterward? Can I take showers? Can I take a bath? Do I need to wear the pouch when I bathe?Can I still play sports? Can I go back to work?Do I need to change the medicines I am taking? Will birth control pills still work?What changes do I need to make in my diet?What can I do if my stools are too loose? Are there foods that will make my stools more firm?What can I do if my stools are too hard? Are there foods that will make my stools looser or more watery? Do I need to drink more liquids?What should I do if nothing is coming out of the stoma into the pouch?How long is too long? Are there foods that may cause blockage of the stoma or opening? How can I change my diet to prevent this problem? What should my stoma look like when it is healthy?How should I care for the stoma every day? How often should I clean it? What types of tape, creams, or paste can I use on the stoma? Does insurance cover the cost of ostomy supplies? What should I do if there is bleeding from the stoma, if it appears red or swollen, or if there is a sore on the stoma? When should I call the provider?Open ReferencesReferencesAmerican Cancer Society website. Ileostomy guide. www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/ostomies/ileostomy.html. Updated October 16, 2019. Accessed February 10, 2023.Raza A, Araghizadeh F. Ileostomy, colostomy, and pouches. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 117.