WCET™ International Ostomy Guideline

3rd Edition.

Clinical guidance recommendations to improve the lives of individuals living with an ostomy, developed by enterostomal experts, surgeons and individuals with lived experience.

Clinical recommendations.

Evidence-based recommendations and good practice statements to support the individual with a stoma through all stages of their journey from pre-admission to ongoing care following stoma formation.

WCET™ IOG Panel recommendations
Download the recommendations

Stomal care across the individual’s journey.

Our clinical guidance starts in the pre-admission stage and provides recommendations throughout the peri-operative, discharge and ongoing for individuals who live long-term with a stoma.

Review WCET™ IOG Panel recommendations by care stage

About the development of

the WCET™IOG

(Third edition).

Methodology and FAQ
Development team

  • "Culturally competent care is essential to ensure that individuals living with a stoma receive respectful, relevant, and effective support that aligns with their beliefs, values, and social context."

    —Person living with a stoma in South Africa

  • "The development of international guidelines such as this one demonstrates the power of nursing collaboration across disciplines, cultures, and countries."

    - Mr Howard Catton, Chief Executive Officer, International Council of Nurses

  • "Stoma site marking pre-operatively is mandatory and it is important that this practice can be implemented."

    —Stomal therapy expert working in Brazil

  • "I wish they had sent me someone with a stoma to talk to before my operation. That would have been more helpful than most other things."

    —Person living with a stoma in New Zealand

  • "Individuals require the expertise of more than one practitioner to care for and manage their various conditions and rehabilitation."

    —Stomal therapy expert working in USA

  • "By incorporating global stakeholder input and lived patient experience, the IOG achieves a balance between methodological rigour and real-world feasibility. "

    - Dr Kotaro Maeda, Director General, Asian Society Stoma Rehabilitation

  • "WCET™’s sustained commitment to advancing specialist nursing practice, fostering international networks, and promoting equitable access to care continues to shape standards of practice across diverse healthcare settings worldwide."

    - Dr Woo Yong Lee, President, ISUCRS

  • "This guideline stands as a testament to what we can achieve when we unite diverse and complementary voices for a common goal."

    Laurent Chabal, ET, EAWT, WCET™ President

  • "A friend who had a urostomy was told by his surgeon: “I will sort your body out but it’s up to you to sort out your mind.”

    - Richard McNair, Chairman International Ostomy Association

  • "The art of stomal therapy practice has  long been established … the science of stomal therapy practice, that is the evidence that underpins the quality and accuracy of care delivered, is a  relatively  recent phenomenon."

    —Professor Keryln Carville, Curtin University, Australia