Stoma Surgery (Colostomy & Ileostomy)
Stoma surgery creates an opening (stoma) on the abdomen through which the bowel passes waste into a pouch. A colostomy uses the large bowel and an ileostomy uses the small bowel. It is performed when the bowel needs to rest or be bypassed, for conditions such as bowel cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and obstruction, and may be temporary or permanent.
Medically reviewed by the Florence Healthcare medical team · Last reviewed June 2026
Overview
A stoma is an opening created by bringing a section of bowel to the surface of the abdomen, where waste empties into a discreet pouch that is changed as needed. A colostomy is formed from the large bowel (colon) and usually produces more formed waste, while an ileostomy is formed from the small bowel (ileum) and produces looser output. Stoma surgery is often part of a larger operation, for example to treat or remove a cancer, manage inflammatory bowel disease, relieve an obstruction, or allow a join in the bowel to heal. It may be temporary, with the bowel later reconnected, or permanent.
Adjusting to a stoma is a practical and emotional change, so specialist stoma-care nurses guide you from before surgery through to confident self-care at home, including choosing the best position for the stoma and learning to manage the pouch. For international patients, a dedicated coordinator arranges your assessment, surgery and a transparent cost estimate before travel, and our team can review your records and scans remotely so the plan, the type of stoma and the expected length of stay are clear before you arrive in İstanbul.
Who is a candidate?
- People having surgery for bowel (colorectal) cancer where a stoma is needed temporarily or permanently
- Patients with inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, requiring bowel rest or removal
- Those with a bowel obstruction, perforation or severe infection that needs the bowel diverted
- Patients whose new bowel join needs protecting while it heals, often with a temporary stoma
- People with certain conditions affecting bowel control or the rectum and anus where diversion helps
- Individuals fit for surgery who, with stoma-care support, can manage or learn to manage their stoma
What happens
- 1
Evaluation and preparation
Your team confirms why a stoma is needed, plans whether it will be temporary or permanent, and assesses your fitness with blood tests and scans. A stoma-care nurse meets you beforehand to mark the best position on your abdomen and explain what to expect.
- 2
Anesthesia
The operation is carried out under general anesthesia so you are fully asleep. Your anesthetist reviews your health and discusses pain relief before surgery.
- 3
Creating the stoma
The surgeon brings a loop or end of bowel through the abdominal wall to form the stoma and secures it to the skin. This is often done as part of a larger bowel operation, by open or keyhole surgery depending on your situation.
- 4
Early recovery and learning stoma care
In hospital your team manages pain and gradually restarts eating, while the stoma-care nurse teaches you to empty and change the pouch and care for the skin around the stoma until you feel confident.
- 5
Recovery at home
Energy and routine return over about six to eight weeks. You build confidence with the pouch, adjust your diet as advised, and avoid heavy lifting until your surgeon confirms it is safe.
- 6
Ongoing support or reversal
If your stoma is temporary, a later operation can reconnect the bowel once it has healed. Permanent stomas are supported long term by stoma-care services, and international patients leave with a clear plan to continue care at home.
Benefits
- Allows the bowel to rest, be bypassed or heal, which can be life-saving in obstruction, perforation or severe disease
- Forms an essential part of curative surgery for many bowel cancers and severe inflammatory bowel disease
- Often relieves symptoms such as pain, bleeding or repeated infections caused by the underlying condition
- A temporary stoma can protect a new bowel join and later be reversed
- With modern appliances and stoma-care support, most people return to work, travel and an active life
Risks & considerations
- Skin irritation around the stoma, which stoma-care nurses help prevent and treat
- Leakage, or the stoma narrowing, retracting or becoming overactive, sometimes needing adjustment
- A hernia forming around the stoma (parastomal hernia) over time
- Dehydration or salt imbalance, more common with an ileostomy because output is looser
- General risks of bowel surgery and anesthesia, including bleeding, infection and blood clots
Where it is performed
This procedure is performed by our General Surgery Department.
Learn more before you decide
Provider-reviewed guides on the related conditions, symptoms and tests in our Health Library.
Stoma Surgery (Colostomy & Ileostomy) — frequently asked questions
Plan for roughly two to three weeks in total. The hospital stay is usually three to eight days, with extra time to learn confident stoma care and to have a post-operative review before flying home. Your coordinator confirms the timeline and a transparent, personalized cost estimate in advance.
Yes. You can share your scans, endoscopy or pathology reports and medical history, and our specialists will review them remotely. We confirm whether stoma surgery is needed, whether it is likely to be temporary or permanent, and provide a clear plan and cost estimate before you arrange travel.
A colostomy is made from the large bowel and usually produces more formed waste, while an ileostomy is made from the small bowel and produces looser, more frequent output. Which one you have depends on the part of the bowel involved and the reason for surgery; your surgeon explains the plan for you.
Not always. Some stomas are temporary and created to let the bowel heal, then reversed in a later operation; others are permanent. Whether reversal is possible depends on your condition and the surgery you need, and your surgeon discusses this clearly before your operation.
Most people return to a varied diet and an active life, including work, exercise and travel. A stoma-care nurse helps you adjust your diet, manage the pouch and stay confident. It takes time to settle into a routine, but the great majority of patients adapt well.
Specialist stoma-care nurses support you from before surgery through to home care. They mark the best position for the stoma, teach you to empty and change the pouch and protect the surrounding skin, and make sure you feel confident before you leave, with a clear plan to continue care at home.
Related treatments
Considering stoma surgery (colostomy & ileostomy)?
Share your reports for a medical second opinion and a transparent, itemized cost estimate — usually within 48 hours.