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For each type of gastrointestinal condition, there is a different ostomy procedure with its own set of considerations. While an ostomy is a life-changing procedure, you may still wonder how it works. The first thing that you are going to have to understand here is that different types of ostomy procedures aim at addressing different gastrointestinal conditions, which may include Crohn’s disease, cancer, ulcerative colitis, and several others.

A typical ostomy involves the creation of an opening in the abdominal wall, called a stoma. A stoma allows the colon or small intestine to evacuate bodily wastes through it, bypassing the normal excretory pathway. And since there are no sphincter muscles in a stoma, there is no way you can postpone the waste evacuation to get to the right place. Therefore, you need to connect an ostomy bag to your stoma. However, it may be interesting to note that not all kinds of ostomies require the patient to wear an ostomy bag.

Conventional ostomy

A “conventional ostomy” is a broader term used for ostomies that require a patient wearing the ostomy bag to collect the body waste. A stoma is a point disconnected from the colon or a portion of it. As a result, it becomes a newly created endpoint to excrete the body wastes. The stoma we see is the endpoint of the intestine.

Each type of conventional ostomy gets its name based on its position in the small or large intestine, except for the urostomy that has to deal with the excretion of urine. A colostomy involves the creation of the stoma in the colon, while an ileostomy has a stoma created on the ileum or the end of the small intestine.

To manage a convention ostomy, the patient has to use an ostomy bag, which connects to the skin area around the stoma. This way, the stoma remains opened into the bag. Stool that passes out of the body through the stoma falls into the ostomy bag. That’s where an entire discussion of how to manage an ostomy bag comes up. Let’s save that for some other time.

J-Pouch

J-pouch is an alternative to a conventional ostomy. After this procedure, your waste is going to collect in a surgically-created cavity inside of your body instead of an exterior ostomy bag. A J-pouch is typically created with the help of a relocated portion of your small intestine. In several cases, a J-pouch allows a patient to use expel body wastes through the anus.

Continent ostomy

Another way you can avoid using an external ostomy bag is to have a continental ostomy. The two most common types of continental ostomies include BCIR (Barnett Continent Intestinal Reservoir) and Kock ostomies. This ostomy involves creating an internal pouch from either small or large intestine. You are going to need to empty that internal pouch using a drainage tube.