Introduction
A colostomy is a surgical procedure to divert one end of the large intestine (colon) through an opening in the abdominal wall (tummy).
The end of the bowel is called a stoma. A pouch is placed over the stoma to collect waste products that usually pass through the colon and out of the body through the rectum and anus (back passage).
A colostomy can be permanent or temporary.
It's estimated that around 6,400 permanent colostomies are carried out each year in the UK.