# Colostomy irrigation systems

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/colostomy-irrigation/  
OnCo record `colostomy-irrigation` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

A way for some people with a colostomy to empty the bowel with water through the stoma once a day or every other day, so that they need only a small cap or patch in between instead of a bag.

## Summary

An ostomy irrigator is a class II device in the United States (FDA product code EXD, 21 CFR 876.5895). Part IXC of the NHS Drug Tariff lists 70 rows of irrigation appliances in November 2026, including sleeves and cones from Coloplast (Assura, Colotip), Dansac and ConvaTec. Irrigation is used with a colostomy, where output is formed, rather than an ileostomy, and a stoma nurse teaches it.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: established
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Also known as: Colostomy irrigation; Stoma irrigation; Irrigation sleeve; Ostomy irrigator; Colotip; Visi-Flow; Irri-Drain
- Tags: devices-gaps-2026-11
- Principle: Warm water from a bag runs through a soft cone held in the stoma; the bowel then empties into a sleeve draining into the toilet, and regular irrigation trains the bowel to stay quiet between sessions.
- Strengths: Can replace a bag with a cap between irrigations; Gives control over timing
- Limitations: Only for colostomies with formed output; Takes up to an hour and needs training

## Sources

- FDA product code EXD: ostomy irrigator: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfPCD/classification.cfm?ID=EXD
- NHS Drug Tariff Part IX, November 2026 (NHSBSA, CSV): https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2026-10/Drug%20Tariff%20Part%20IX%20November%202026.csv

## Connected records

- cancers: [Colorectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/colorectal/), [Rectal cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/rectal-cancer/)
- fronts: [Devices & Physical Therapies](https://onco.cc/fronts/devices/), [Supportive Care & Survivorship](https://onco.cc/fronts/supportive-care/), [Surgery & Interventional](https://onco.cc/fronts/surgery/)
- technologies: [Stoma bags and baseplates (one-piece, two-piece, convex, urostomy, caps and leak alerts)](https://onco.cc/technologies/ostomy-appliances/), [Stoma output thickeners and deodorants](https://onco.cc/technologies/ostomy-output-management-products/)
- companies: [Coloplast](https://onco.cc/companies/coloplast/), [ConvaTec](https://onco.cc/companies/convatec/)
- terms: [Stoma (colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy)](https://onco.cc/terms/stoma/)

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