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

When Osmundson read the file, her mind ticked through worst-case scenarios if things didn’t go well: The patient might need to use an ostomy bag attached to her abdomen to dispel waste.

From Salon

He lives in Llanelli with his wife Jane and is a bus driver, but before his ostomy surgery he worked in a factory.

From BBC

After I got my ostomy, I was able to add additional foods to my diet, but I was frightened and hesitant to do so.

From Salon

"Brayden suffered before he died because the hospital, its nurses, and the home health nurse failed to teach and take care of this young man with a new ostomy."

From Fox News

So Chief Navy Counselor Grant Khanbalinov lay still, alone in his bed all day, hoping his ostomy bag wouldn’t burst while his wife was at work managing a dental office in Virginia.

From Washington Post