Crohn’s & Colitis Glossary

Surgeon

Bowel resection

A surgical procedure to remove a portion of your small or large intestine, that has been damaged by Crohn’s disease.

Surgeon

Colectomy

The surgical removal of the colon.

Surgeon

Colostomy

A type of ostomy in which the stoma is formed by bringing part of the large intestine through the abdominal wall and then your stool (poop) will then empty into a pouch secured to the skin around the stoma.

Surgeon

Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (also known as IPAA or J-pouch)

A surgical procedure in which an internal pouch is created from a portion of the small intestine and connected to the anus.

Surgeon

Ileostomy

A type of ostomy in which the stoma is formed by bringing a loop or the end of the small intestine through the abdominal wall and then your stool (poop) will empty into a pouch secured to the skin.

Surgeon

Proctocolectomy

The surgical removal of the colon and rectum. It is often part of the ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, or j-pouch, surgeries.

Surgeon

Stoma

A surgically created opening in the body where a part of the bowel (small or large intestine) pokes out of your abdominal wall and provides an opening for waste to pass through into an external ostomy pouch.