In medicine, a stoma (Greek - plr. stomata) is an opening, usually an unnatural or surgically created opening which connects a portion of the body cavity to the outside environment.

One well-known form of a stoma is a colostomy, which is a surgically-created opening in the large intestine that allows the removal of feces out of the body, bypassing the rectum, to drain into a bag or other collection device. The historical practice of trepanation was also a type of stoma.

Examples of stomas

• Dacryocystorhinostomy
• Enterostomy
  • Cecostomy
  • Colostomy
  • Duodenostomy
  • Ileostomy
  • Jejunostomy
• Esophagostomy
• Gastrostomy (also see percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy)
• Nephrostomy
• Sclerostomy
• Thoracostomy
• Tracheostomy
• Urostomy (also see Ileal conduit urinary diversion)

Surgery | Gastroenterology

Stoma (Medizin) | Stomie | Stoma (geneeskunde) | Stomi | Stomia | Ostomia