For many people diagnosed with colorectal cancer, surgery can bring lifesaving treatment but also lasting changes.

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 ...

Sara Levitt proudly carries her story of survival and self-love whenever she walks down the runway or poses for the camera. The 30-year-old model has been smashing stigmas in recent years, being an ...

While advances in stoma bags have made them easier to use and live with, you may still be interested in possible alternatives. These depend on your specific condition. A colostomy bag (pouch) is a ...

"If we don't talk about it, if we don't teach people, how are they going to know to accept us for who we are?" says Jessica Grossman, who founded the nonprofit Uncover Ostomy Jessica Grossman was ...

Not everyone with colorectal cancers and bowel diseases needs a colostomy. You may be able to avoid ostomy surgery, depending on the reason for it. A colostomy is a surgical procedure that creates an ...

With this procedure, a surgically created opening in the abdomen allows bodily waste to be rerouted into what's called a stoma bag, or an ostomy bag, which needs to be emptied and cleaned periodically ...

Adjusting to life with an ostomy can be challenging, both physically and financially. From finding the right pouching system to managing daily care, it often takes time, patience and the right ...