Ostomy Surgery
For Crohn’s Disease

There are two types of ostomies in IBD: colostomy (involves the colon) and ileostomy (involves the small intestine).

Colostomies are usually given in hemicolectomies where a portion of the colon is salvageable. See Figure 6.

When the entire colon is severely diseased and proctocolectomy is required, patients are given an ileostomy. See Figure 5.

  • Temporary Ostomy:

    A temporary ostomy is often done temporarily to allow resected bowel, stricture or fistula to heal. Most commonly done in resections and in proctocolectomy with J-pouch/IPAA to allow the bowel to rest prior to reconnection.

  • Permanent Ostomy:

    In cases where the temporary ostomy cannot be reversed due to continuing severe inflammation, including fistulizing or stricturing disease, a permanent ostomy may become necessary.

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Written by Tina Aswani Omprakash. Medically reviewed and validated by Jordan Axelrad, MD, MPH. These webpages are funded by a grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.