An ostomy is created when there's a need to reroute bodily waste due to disease, injury, or birth defects affecting the digestive or urinary systems. It provides a new opening on the abdomen for waste to exit the body.
Reasons for Ostomy Creation:
Ostomies are typically required due to issues that prevent the normal passage of stool or urine. Here are some common causes:
- Bowel Diseases: Conditions like Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and diverticulitis can severely damage the intestines, necessitating an ostomy. For example, in severe ulcerative colitis, the colon may be removed entirely, requiring a permanent ileostomy.
- Cancer: Colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, and other cancers in the abdominal region may require removal of part or all of the affected organ, leading to an ostomy.
- Birth Defects: Certain congenital conditions, such as imperforate anus (where the anus is absent or blocked) or Hirschsprung's disease (affecting nerve cells in the colon), can necessitate an ostomy.
- Trauma: Injuries to the abdomen or pelvis can damage the intestines or urinary tract, requiring an ostomy to allow healing.
- Bowel Obstruction: A blockage in the intestine due to scar tissue (adhesions), tumors, or other causes can prevent waste from passing through, making an ostomy necessary to bypass the obstruction.
- Incontinence: In some cases, an ostomy might be created to manage severe fecal or urinary incontinence that doesn't respond to other treatments.
- Other Conditions: Less common causes include radiation damage to the bowel, ischemic bowel disease, and certain infections.
Types of Ostomies:
The specific type of ostomy depends on which part of the digestive or urinary system is involved:
- Colostomy: Involves bringing a portion of the large intestine (colon) to the abdominal surface.
- Ileostomy: Involves bringing a portion of the small intestine (ileum) to the abdominal surface.
- Urostomy: Diverts urine from the bladder to an opening on the abdomen.
Temporary vs. Permanent Ostomies:
Ostomies can be either temporary or permanent, depending on the underlying condition.
- Temporary Ostomies: Often created to allow the bowel to heal after surgery or injury. Once healing is complete, the ostomy can be reversed.
- Permanent Ostomies: Necessary when the underlying condition cannot be resolved, and the affected organ needs to be removed or permanently bypassed.
In summary, an ostomy is a surgical procedure performed to reroute waste elimination when the normal pathway is disrupted due to a variety of medical conditions, injuries, or birth defects.
