[Indications for construction of stoma pouches]

Despite the advances of reconstructive surgical techniques, there are still indications for enterostoma constructions. Terminal colostomies are constructed after abdominoperineal rectal amputations. The terminal ileostomy is the procedure of choice after total colectomies for Crohn's disease. Loop colostomies are still a possibility for stool diversion procedures and for decompression in acute colonic obstruction. Loop ileostomies reduce load before ileal anastomoses and are increasingly used as diverting stomas in cases of colonic anastomoses. The cecal tube fistula, which does not divert the fecal stream completely, has the special advantage of easy, spontaneous closure.