Stoma care leaflets

What is a stoma?

A stoma is the result of an operation to remove disease such as cancer, Crohn’s disease or diverticulitis, or from a bowel obstruction or injury to the digestive or urinary system. It is an artificial opening that allows faeces or urine, either from the intestine or from the urinary tract to pass. There are three main types of stoma related to the digestive and urinary system, these are colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy.