Therapeutic or Preventive Procedure
colostomy Audio
co·los·to·my [ kuh-los-tuh-mee ]
Subclass of:
Enterostomy procedure
Definitions related to colostomy procedure:
  • (colostomy) An opening into the colon from the outside of the body. A colostomy provides a new path for waste material to leave the body after part of the colon has been removed.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • (colostomy) Surgery that brings one end of the large intestine out through an opening in the abdomen for elimination of stool.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • (colostomy) The surgical construction of an opening between the colon and the surface of the body.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • (colostomy) The surgical creation of an opening between the colon and the surface of the body.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Colostomy, the surgical formation of an artificial anus by making an opening from the colon through the abdominal wall. A colostomy may be performed in order to decompress an obstructed colon; to divert the fecal stream after traumatic injury or when resectioning an inflammatory, obstructive, or...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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