What does colostomy mean?
A colostomy is a surgical procedure in which a portion of the colon is brought through an incision in the abdominal wall to create an opening known as a stoma, allowing waste to pass directly into an external collection bag rather than travelling through the rectum. Surgeons perform a colostomy when the lower bowel must be bypassed or rested — for example after cancer surgery, trauma, or inflammatory disease — and the opening may be either temporary, to permit healing, or permanent. The word derives from the Greek 'kolon' (large intestine) combined with '-stomy', from 'stoma' meaning mouth or opening. In everyday language the term also refers to the stoma itself, and the external appliance is commonly called a colostomy bag. Though medical in register, the word appears widely in patient literature, journalism, and personal accounts, and carries no stigma in careful usage; modern ostomy care allows most people who have had a colostomy to live full, active lives.
nounA surgical operation in which an opening (stoma) is created in the abdominal wall from the colon, allowing bodily waste to be diverted into a bag worn outside the body.
- The surgical construction of an opening from the colon to the surface of the abdomen, through which faecal matter passes into an external pouch.
- By extension, the opening (stoma) created by such an operation.
"After the tumour was removed, the surgeons performed a colostomy so his bowel could heal safely."
"She learned to manage her colostomy independently within weeks of leaving hospital."
"A temporary colostomy was formed to allow the injured bowel to rest and repair."
Standard plural, used mainly in clinical statistics and case-series writing.
"Over two hundred colostomies are performed at the hospital each year."
The word 'colostomy' literally contains its own meaning — it ends in '-stomy', from the Greek 'stoma' meaning mouth or opening, because that's exactly what the surgery creates: a new 'mouth' for the body.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of colostomy
The word 'colostomy' combines 'col-', from Greek 'kolon' meaning large intestine, with the suffix '-stomy', derived from Greek 'stoma' meaning mouth or opening. It was coined as part of the family of surgical '-ostomy' terms that emerged as abdominal surgery advanced during the late nineteenth century. It shares this suffix with related terms such as gastrostomy, tracheostomy, and ileostomy, each denoting a surgically created opening at a different site.
Related word forms
How colostomy is actually used
Medical register; used in clinical settings and by patients discussing their care. The adjective 'colostomized' describes a person who has had the procedure, though many patient-advocacy contexts prefer person-first phrasing. Distinguish from ileostomy, which involves the small intestine rather than the colon.
Easily confused with colostomy
A colonoscopy is a diagnostic examination of the inside of the colon using a camera, whereas a colostomy is a surgical operation that reroutes the bowel through an opening in the abdomen.
Colotomy means making an incision into the colon itself, whereas a colostomy brings the colon out through the abdominal wall to form a permanent or temporary waste outlet.