Glossary of Medical and Health Terms

Colostomy

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.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colostomy

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