An ostomy is a surgical procedure creating an opening or stoma from an area inside the body to outside the abdominal wall, thus providing a new way for waste (urine or stool) products to leave the body (1-3). An ostomy can be permanent, when the organ is removed, or temporary when the organ needs time to heal. Many of the stomas created today are temporary (1,3). 

 

The three main types of ostomies are (1-3):