Ostomy is a surgical procedure that consists in the opening of a hollow organ, such as some part of the digestive tract, respiratory tract, urinary tract or any other, and can maintain communication with the external environment through a fistula, where an inspection or maintenance pipe can be connected. As an example, tracheostomy is applied to patients with breathing difficulties, where the trachea is opened below the congested point and a tube is inserted in place to allow free air entry. In cases of bowel cancer or other problems which the bowel and rectum need to be partially or fully extracted, a stoma is made by connecting the end of the preserved bowel to the skin. It’s normal in these cases to apply a colostomy bag for stool collection. According to the place where the ostomy was made, a different name is given, starting with the name of the place and followed by “ostomy”.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostomia

*In Brazil, it is estimated that about 100,000 people underwent some type of surgical procedure requiring the use of an ostomy bag, either temporarily or permanently.