Colostomy

This procedure involves surgically creating an opening (called a stoma) in your child’s abdomen and attaching the colon to the stoma so that stool can exit into a collection bag. A colostomy can be a temporary measure to allow a child’s body to heal after anorectal or intestinal surgery, or it can also be permanent if your child has had a significant amount of intestine removed. The collection bag can be worn discretely under your child’s clothes and will need to be emptied periodically throughout the day.

Related conditions:

• Anorectal malformations
• Crohn’s disease
• Hirschsprung’s disease