HealthAugust 2, 2026
stoma
STOH-muh
Definition
An artificial opening made into a hollow organ, or a surgically created hole in the abdominal wall to allow for the elimination of waste.
Etymology
The word originates from the Ancient Greek word 'stoma', which literally translates to 'mouth'. In medical Latin and modern English, it was adopted to describe any mouth-like opening or pore.
In the news
In the article, a stoma bag is mentioned as a potential surgical outcome for rectal cancer treatment that the patient wished to avoid. It highlights the medical necessity of such procedures when traditional surgery is required.
'Clinical trial helped me survive rectal cancer'
Read the full article ↗BBC