Ostomy Pouch: What It Is, Types of Ostomy Pouches, and More
Health ConditionsDigestive HealthIBD

What Is an Ostomy Pouch?

An ostomy pouch is necessary after ostomy surgery, which alters how your body expels feces or urine.

What Is an Ostomy Pouch?
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Published on July 14, 2025
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An ostomy pouch is a collection system you wear on your body following a lifesaving ostomy surgery, which reroutes how your body expels waste. An ostomy pouch collects urine or feces from a stoma, an opening in your abdomen created during the ostomy surgery. You may need to wear an ostomy pouch temporarily or permanently, depending on the reason you need one and what kind of ostomy surgery you had.

What Is an Ostomy Pouch?

An ostomy pouch is necessary after ostomy surgery, a type of procedure that reroutes the way your body eliminates waste.

“An ostomy pouch is a medical bag that attaches to the body to collect waste when part of your digestive or urinary system doesn’t work as it normally would,” says Raj Dasgupta, MD, a physician at Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. “It connects to a small opening on the belly, called a stoma, that’s made during surgery. The pouch keeps waste contained and helps protect the skin, so people can go about daily life with less worry,” he says.

Ostomy pouches consist of a skin barrier (an adhesive that attaches around the stoma and protects the skin) and a pouch (which collects feces or urine expelled from the stoma). It’s an odor-proof system designed to be worn during your daily activities.

There are different types of surgeries used to create ostomies, including:

  • Ileosotomy: An ileostomy redirects a portion of your ileum (small intestine) to create a stoma in your abdominal wall.
  • Colostomy: This procedure redirects a part of your colon (large intestine) to create a stoma.
  • Urostomy: This redirects your ureters (which carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder) to create a stoma.

Who Needs an Ostomy Pouch?

“People might need an ostomy pouch because of conditions that damage or block the bowel or bladder,” says Dr. Dasgupta. “Sometimes, it’s because the organ needed to be removed. Other times, it’s to let the body heal after surgery.”

“Many patients need ostomies for different reasons,” says Daniel Wong, MD, a colorectal surgeon at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Needham, Massachusetts. You may need an ostomy pouch if you have one of the following conditions:

Your ostomy pouch may be permanent or temporary, depending on your medical condition and why you needed one in the first place. “Some are temporary to allow healing of a new connection or to medically treat the issues preventing the normal discharge of stool,” says Dr. Wong.

If your ostomy is meant to be temporary, you will undergo a reversal surgery, and you will no longer need to use an ostomy pouch.

How Does an Ostomy Pouch Work?

The adhesive skin barrier of the ostomy pouch works to both protect the skin around the stoma and allow the device to be comfortably worn on the body. The skin barrier is cut to match the size and shape of your stoma. For example, if it is small and round, it will be shaped to match. Your stoma nurse will help you learn how to cut the skin barrier so you have the best fit for your stoma.

“The pouch sticks securely around the stoma and collects waste as it comes out. It’s designed to prevent leaks and control odor, says Dasgupta. “The goal is to manage waste in a way that’s comfortable and reliable, so people can live as normally as possible.”

Typically, you need to empty your ostomy pouch when it’s one-third full, so that it doesn’t become too heavy and cause leakages. You should also change your device every three to four days.

What Are the Different Types of Ostomy Pouches?

There are two types of ostomy pouching systems that you may choose from, depending on your preference and needs:

  • One-piece pouching system: This consists of a skin barrier and ostomy pouch that attaches as one piece.
  • Two-piece pouching system: This consists of a skin barrier and ostomy pouch that are two separate units. The skin barrier is placed over the stoma first, and the pouch is then attached to the skin barrier via a clip mechanism designed to join the two.
Your ostomy nurse will help you decide which option is best for you. Factors to consider when choosing a one- or two-piece system are:

  • The type of stoma you have
  • Your body shape
  • Concerns you may have about concealing your ostomy pouch
  • Your usual daily activities
  • Your preferences
Regardless of which system you choose, each is designed to be leakproof, free of odors, and comfortable, allowing you to go about your daily activities without restrictions.

 “While having an ostomy is a big life adjustment, our patients with ostomies are not limited by them,” Wong says. “Patients with ostomies can fully participate in whatever social or physical activities they would like to.”

The Takeaway

  • Ostomy pouches are medical devices that are designed to collect urine or feces after a lifesaving ostomy surgery, which is sometimes needed for certain medical conditions.
  • Ostomy pouches consist of a skin barrier, which provides skin protection, and an ostomy pouch, which collects waste as it’s expelled from the body.
  • Ostomy pouches come in one- or two-part systems. Your ostomy nurse can help you choose the best fit for you.

Resources We Trust

EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. What Is an Ostomy? United Ostomy Associations of America.
  2. A Guide to Ostomy Bags and Pouching Systems. University of Chicago Medicine.
  3. Ostomy. Cleveland Clinic. May 5, 2025.
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Yuying Luo, MD

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Yuying Luo, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City. She aims to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered, and holistic care for her patients.

Her clinical and research focus includes patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia; patients with lower gastrointestinal motility (constipation) disorders and defecatory and anorectal disorders (such as dyssynergic defecation); and women’s gastrointestinal health.

She graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology and received her MD from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was also chief resident. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was also chief fellow.

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Shelby House, RN, BSN, has been a registered nurse for almost 10 years. She currently serves as a nursing director for a program that provides healthcare services to underserved Missourians, specifically aiding those with mental health disorders in achieving their best state of physical health.

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