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Ostomy Care and Education
Patients with ostomies need an advocate who will guide them through the process of living successfully with one. Our clinic staff includes Certified Wound Ostomy Nurses (CWON) who are available to give individualized instruction about ostomies to people brand new to having one, as well as those who have had one for a long time but need additional support.
Our wound care team is well versed in the different types of ostomy appliances available and how to order them. They offer emotional support and practical information to patients and their caregiver(s). The team also consults on any abnormalities around the stoma, including wounds that may occur.
As an added convenience, patients do not need a physician referral to receive ostomy services from our clinic. If you would like to schedule a consultation with our ostomy specialist, please call us at (920) 699-4245.
Ostomy Services
For patients who:
- Are scheduled to receive a colostomy, ileostomy, or urostomy (ileal conduit) surgery
- Have just received an ostomy
- Are frustrated with frequent changes of their appliance
- Want and need more information about their appliance and what is available to them
- Has developed an open wound around the urostomy, ileostomy, or colostomy site
Living with an Ostomy
When your body can’t get rid of waste in the normal way, you may need an ostomy. This can happen because of a disease or a medical procedure. An ostomy is an opening that is created surgically somewhere on the body to help get rid of stool or urine. The waste is collected in a removable bag, called a pouch. The pouch is on the outside of the body and can be emptied as needed.
Ostomies often get confused with stomas, but they are different medical terms. Ostomy means the opening itself. Stoma refers to the end of the ureter or bowel that often has to extend slightly through the ostomy in order for urine or feces to leave the body.
Ostomy types
Ostomies come in many different types. The most common is a colostomy, when part of the colon or rectum needs to be removed. In this procedure, an opening is made in the abdominal wall. A remaining part of bowel is connected to it for the stool. Colostomies can be temporary or permanent. They have subtypes, depending on where the colostomy is made. These include sigmoid or descending, transverse, loop, and ascending. An ileostomy is a similar type of procedure done on the ileum. The ileum is part of the small intestine. All ostomies include a pouch and a wafer that help protect the skin from irritation.