ostomy

[ os-tuh-mee ]

noun

, plural os·to·mies.

1. any of various surgical procedures, as a colostomy, in which an artificial opening is made so as to permit the drainage of waste products either into an appropriate organ or to the outside of the body.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ostomy¹

1955–60; generalized from words in which -ostomy is the final element; -o-, -stomy

Example Sentences

For many that means living with the damage the disease has done to their intestinal tract, and sometimes with the altering impacts of surgery done to manage it, such as ostomy pouches or increased incontinence.

From Time