Ileostomy

An ileostomy is a type of stoma made from the end of the small intestine, called the ileum. In the operation, a surgeon disconnects the ileum and brings it through an opening in the abdominal wall to form a stoma, so stool leaves the body into a pouch and bypasses the colon (Cleveland Clinic).

The name tells you what the stoma is connected to. An ileostomy is made from the small intestine, which sets it apart from a colostomy (made from the large bowel) and a urostomy (which drains urine).

What the output is like

Because the waste leaves before reaching the colon, where most water is normally absorbed, an ileostomy's output is liquid to porridge-like and flows continuously rather than in formed pieces (NHS: Ileostomy). This is the key reason ileostomy and colostomy care advice is not interchangeable: a more liquid output means fluid and salts can be lost more easily, so staying well hydrated tends to matter more with an ileostomy. Your stoma care team can give you advice tailored to your own situation.

Where it sits on the abdomen

An ileostomy is normally placed on the lower-right side of the abdomen, reflecting where the ileum sits in the body (NHS: Ileostomy).

Loop, end, temporary, or permanent

A loop ileostomy is usually temporary. It keeps the small and large intestines connected, which makes it possible to reverse later once the bowel has healed. An end ileostomy is often permanent and fully separates the small intestine from the large intestine. Conditions that can lead to an ileostomy include ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, colorectal cancer, hereditary polyposis syndromes such as FAP, and a bowel obstruction or perforation (Cleveland Clinic). Whether yours is temporary or permanent depends on why it was made, which is a question for your surgical and stoma care team.