Colon Bag

A colon bag, also known as a colostomy bag or ostomy pouching system is a means to collect waste from the colon. A colon bag is needed if a part of the colon has been removed and feces cannot be expelled naturally. The pouch is also needed if the colon is operated on and needs time to heal. This is a temporary situation and the colon is eventually reattached. This process of attaching a colon bag is called a colostomy.

How Is A Colostomy Done?

A small incision is made where the bisected colon will be placed to exit the body. This is called the stoma. Attached to the stoma is a base-plate or wafer. These wafers can last from 4 to 10 days before they need to be switched. The wafer is attached to the stoma via locking rings or adhesive. The colon bag is attached to the wafer.

Open-End Colon Bag

If you are having a colostomy you can choose to use an open-end colon bag. This bag has one end that can be opened. This makes it easy to empty the back in the toilet. The open end can be closed by a clip made of plastic. Today however, there are bags that can be closed with Velcro instead of having to use the clip.

Closed-End Colon Bag

For those of you undergoing a colostomy but do not wish to deal with the task of having to empty the bag there is another option. There are closed-end colon bags that attach securely to the wafer. But these bags do not have to be emptied. They are disposable and can simply be tossed away. Many of these bags also come with vents that have a charcoal filter to allow gas to escape so the bag will not inflate. This option is also available in the open-end colon bag.

A New Alternative To The External Colon Bag

Thanks to the innovation of modern medicine you now have the option of an internal colon bag. In this situation a pouch is constructed internally at the end of the lower intestine. The pouch which is now taking the place of the rectum has an external opening like the anus. The opening remains closed until it is time to empty the pouch. This prevents the colon bag from interfering with your clothing or activities.

To easily make use of the colon bags it is best to keep the colon clean. You should eat plenty of fiber, drink lots of water and consider using a colon cleanse to prevent fecal matter build up. All these aspects are very important for your health.