Colostomy Care

Course Summary

A colostomy is a surgical procedure that involves creating an opening in the colon and attaching it to a surgically created opening on the surface of the abdomen. A colostomy requires the patient to make lifestyle changes and to learn specific self-care. The great majority of people adjust to these changes and do not have any significant limitations on what they can do. Aside from managing the colostomy, they live life exactly as they did before the procedure was done. The patient’s physician or the ostomy nurse will provide the patient with information about the use of appliances, colostomy complications, diet, and exercise, but staff should have a basic understanding of those topics to support patient care.