Glossary of Terms

Abdominal wall	The area that represents the stomach boundaries of the stomach cavity
Blood supply	The amount of blood that flowed into and supplied to an organ or part of the organs during a certain time period
Catheter	A flexible tube. A urinary catheter is a tube that is put into the bladder or the continent urostomy to drain out the urine.
Colon	Also known as the large intestine. The last part of the digestive system. It absorbs water and eliminates waste.
Colostomy	Surgically created opening in the abdomen where a piece of the colon (large intestine) is brought out of the abdomen through an opening so that waste can drain into an external pouch.
Cut-to-fit or moldable convex	A barrier on a one to two-piece pouching system allowing users to cut or mold the opening in the skin barrier to fit irregularly shaped stomas. These are especically recommended if the stoma is not round.
Ileal conduit	A urinary diversion operation which allows urine to pass from kidneys and ureters through a passageway made from a short piece of small intestine to the outside of the body. Also known as a urostomy.
Ileostomy	Surgically created opening in the abdomen where a piece of the ileum (small intestine) is brought out of the abdomen through an opening so that waste can drain into an external pouch.
Ileum	The last part of the small intestine. It breaks down and absorbs nutrients from food using enzymes. It connects to the large intestine.
Large intestine	It is the last part of the digestive system. Absorbs water and eliminates the residues (waste) of digestion.
Mucus	Fluid secreted from glands or cells. It lubricates membranes, including the inside of the digestive tract.
Nozzle	often a pipe or tube, and can be used to direct or modify the flow of a fluid.
One piece pouch system	A waste collection system in which the pouch is permanently attached to the adhesive barrier. The pouch and skin barrier are manufactured together as a single unit.
Ostomate	A person living with a surgically created ostomy.
Ostomy	surgically created opening in the belly (abdominal wall) through which the body gets rid of waste. This term refers to ileostomies, colostomies (both of which drain stool) and urostomies (which drain urine).
Peristomal	Referring to the skin around the stoma or ostomy.
Pouch	Collecting bag for waste that comes out of a stoma
Skin barrier	Any one of many substances used to cover and protect the skin around the stoma. Can be pliable sheets, pastes, powders, etc.
Small intestine	Part of the digestive system. Primarily responsible for the breakdown of food particles into nutrients and absorption of those nutrients.
Stoma	The opening in the abdominal wall and the tissue that connects to it (ureter, small or large intestine). A stoma is typically bright red, protrudes slightly from the abdomen, and changes in size after surgery and over time.
Stoma bag	Medical device that provides holding place for collection of waste from your body through the stoma.
Stoma nurse	Regisered nurse who takes care of and teaches ostomy pateints. Special training is required for certification. This nurse may also be called a Wound, Ostomy and Continence nurse (WOC) or an Enterostomal Therapy (ET) nurse.
Two piece pouching system	In this system the stoma bag and the base plate are separate. The adhesive is left in positino and the new pouch is fixed to it as required.
Ureter	The two tubes that drain urine from the kidneys. Normally they lead into the bladder, but in the case of a urostomy, they drain urine out of a stoma.
Urinary diversion	any one of several surgical procedures to divert urine away from diseased or defective kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra. In many diversions, a new passageway for urine is formed through the belly (abdominal wall) to outside the body. This involves making a stoma or suturing a tube in place to drain urine. if a stoma is made, a pouch is usually worn. (see urinary tract and stoma)
Urinary tract	a flexible tube. A urinary catheter is a tube that is put into the bladder or the continent urostomy to drain out the urine.
Urinate	emptying the bladder of urine
Urostomy	a type of urinary diversion surgery which allows urine to pass from kidneys and ureters through a passageway made from a short piece of small intestine to the outside of the body. Also known as an ileal conduit.
WOC nurse	Wound, Ostomy and Continence nurse. A registered nurse with special training to help patients with ostomies. This nurse may also be called an ostomy nurse, stoma nurse, or an Enterostomal Therapy (ET) nurse.