Skin irritations, stoma retractions, prolapse, or blockage are some of the more common complications of a colostomy. About 150,000 new colostomies or ileostomies are performed each year in the United ...

Most colostomies are meant to be temporary, but the high risk of complications like leakage and infection can keep many people from having the procedure reversed. You might need a colostomy to help ...

Colostomy prolapse is a complication of colostomy surgery where the bowel protrudes through the stoma. This complication can make it hard to care for the stoma and may affect quality of life. A ...

If your ulcerative colitis (UC) hasn’t responded well enough to treatment, your doctor may suggest surgery and an ostomy pouch. This might sound intimidating. But for people with certain birth defects ...

The stoma can measure from 1 to 1 1/2 inches around. Unlike your anus, the stoma has no sphincter muscle (the muscles that control bowel movements), so most people cannot control the exit of waste.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My friend had a stoma created after years of managing Crohn's disease. She recently had surgery to repair a hernia. What is a stoma, and are these types of hernias common? What is ...