Definition of Ileostomy:

An ileostomy is an opening in your belly wall that is made during surgery. Ileostomies are used to deliver waste out of the body when the colon or rectum is not working properly.

The word "ileostomy" comes from the words "ileum" and "stoma." Your ileum is the lowest part of your small intestine. "Stoma" means "opening." Your ileum will pass through a stoma after your surgery.

Description:

Before you have surgery to create an ileostomy, you may have surgery to remove all of your colon and rectum, or just part of your small intestine.

See also:

• Small bowel resection
• Total abdominal colectomy
• Total proctolectomy with ileostomy

You may use your ileostomy for only a short time, or it may be created for long-term use. When it is long-term, it is usually because all of your large intestine and rectum have been removed.

To create the ileostomy, the surgeon makes a small surgical cut in the wall of your belly for the stoma. Then the part of your small intestine that is farthest from your stomach is brought up and used as the stoma.

When you look at your stoma, you are actually looking at the lining of your intestine. It looks a lot like the inside of your cheek.

Sometimes ileostomies are made as the first step in forming an ileal anal reservoir (called a J-pouch).

Why the Procedure Is Performed:

Ileostomy surgery is done when problems with your large intestine cannot be treated without surgery.

Many different problems may lead to the need for this surgery. Some are:

• Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease), the most common reason
• Colon or rectal cancer
• A condition called familial polyposis
• Birth defects that involve your intestines
• An accident that damages your intestines or another intestinal emergency

Your ileostomy may be short-term. If you have surgery on part of your large intestine, your doctor may want the rest of the large intestine or your small intestine to rest for a while. You will use the ileostomy while you recover from this surgery. When you do not need it anymore, you will have another surgery to reattach the ends of the small intestine, and you will no longer need the ileostomy.

When your ileostomy is short-term, it usually means all of your large intestine was removed but you still have at least part of your rectum.