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Two months later she had a total colectomy, or surgical removal of her colon, including the formation of a J pouch, a J-shaped reservoir created out of a patient’s small intestine so they can continue to store and pass stool.

Medical conditions that can lead to colectomy include colon or rectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, and diverticulitis.

After surgery to remove the colon, or colectomy, people learn to manage the opening in their abdomen, called an ostomy; the intestinal portion or stoma; and the pouching system that's used to collect bodily waste.

About three months after my colectomy surgery, as a freshman, I started the "Crohn's and Colitis Teen Times," now a nonprofit that serves individuals with chronic illnesses around the world.

Confronted by a similar scenario recently, I reviewed the literature and was disappointed by how little progress has been made in treating people who are acutely ill, other than by offering an emergency colectomy, which itself carries a 50% risk of death.