A urostomy is one of three primary types of ostomies (along with colostomy and ileostomy). During urostomy surgery, a stoma is created to act as a pathway from the bladder to the outside of your abdomen.
A urostomy is typically required when the bladder is diseased or injured, and the stoma helps to remove urine from the bladder to a urostomy pouch (aka urostomy bag).
Video Transcript
Hi, my name is Siobhan and I lead ostomy education here at Better Health. I have an ostomy myself, so I’m pretty familiar with the ups and downs and ins and outs of life with an ostomy. Yeah. One of my jobs here at Better Health is to be a coach, to people who haven’t had ostomy surgery yet, but maybe having it very soon or who have recently had ostomy surgery.
So today I’m here with Duncan and Duncan is recently had ostomy surgery himself. And we’re talking about the different kinds of ostomies. So Duncan, what was your question? Hi, Siobhan I know I have a colostomy for a stool, but I was wondering what is a urostomy? How is it different? It’s all about urine, right?
That’s right. So that year that you are at the beginning of the word, urostomy is from urine and a urostomy is takes place. When somebody might have difficulty with their bladder functioning, maybe the bladder has experienced some does some disease or some trauma, maybe there’s a cancer and it, they had to have it removed.
So a urostomy is a little bit different from an ileostomy because it it drains urine from the kidneys. So as opposed to the other kinds of ostomies, which have to do with stool, like you said. So which products should someone use with a urostomy, well urostomy products are pretty much the same is other kinds of ostomy products, especially when we’re talking about ostomy barriers.
Yes. Basically everybody needs the same kind of barrier. A barrier is the part that goes on your skin. It is surrounds the stoma and it protects the skin from output. And it also is the part to which the bag attaches and catches output. Now a urostomy pouch is a little bit different.
A urostomy pouch has a special spigot, and it also has a special design inside. One of the things you want to avoid when you’re dealing with urine is back splashing it over the stoma because urine is very susceptible to bacteria growth. So when you’re using, when you have a urostomy, you want to only use urostomy pouches, not colostomy pouches.
Okay. And how often would someone have to empty a urine bag? Because with the urostomy, the stoma is always active, meaning there’s always going to be maybe a little bit of urine draining from it from the kidneys. And the reason for that is that in the past, before the urostomy, the bladder would act as a reservoir and hold all that urine until it was time to be released.
So now that you have sort of an external bladder that urine is collecting inside that pouch urostomy would need to be emptied probably four to six times a day, depending on how much you are drinking and passing out out. And then at night, oftentimes people will need a night drainage bag because otherwise he would be getting every four to six hours to drain that.
You’re running. Thanks. That’s good information Siobhan. Great. Well, I’m glad I was able to clear up the difference between a urostomy and a colostomy and an ileostomy and for more tips and guidance on all things ostomy stay tuned to this video series out or join us@joinbetter.com.
