Normal Digestive Tract vs. Ileostomy Routes

Steamnormaltract SteamBrookeContinent Steamileo-anal

I have attached three drawings . The first is the normal digestive tract of a healthy person, the second is the digestive tract of a person with either a Brooke or Continent ileostomy, and the third is the digestive tract of someone with an ileo-anal reservoir ileostomy.

Ileostomies are put in place when the large intestine is either removed or needs to rest in order to heal from certain diseases.

Both the Brooke and Continent ileostomies end with a stoma usually in the lower right abdomen, where waste is collected in an external pouch. An ileo-anal reservoir ileostomy attaches the ileum directly to the rectum and anus, so that there is no stoma needed for waste to exit the body.