Colostomy for Colorectal Cancer

After a surgeon has removed the diseased part of your bowel during an operation called a bowel resection, he or she will then sew the two healthy ends of your bowel back together. Sometimes the bowel tissue needs more time to heal before the reattachment, so a temporary colostomy is needed. Sometimes the entire lower colon or rectum is removed because it is diseased. In those cases, the colostomy will be permanent.

To perform a colostomy, the surgeon makes an opening through the skin on your abdomen and connects your bowel to that opening. This opening is called a stoma or, sometimes, a colostomy. Your stool passes out of your body through the opening. A disposable bag is attached over the opening to collect stool.

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