The ostomy pouch is adhered directly to the skin and gathers the stools.

It was the Danish nurse Elise Sørensen, who invented the ostomy pouch for patients with colostomy, which means that a portion of the patient's colon or rectum has been removed and the remaining colon is brought to the abdominal wall.

This means that the patient no longer has the sphincter to control the discharge of body wastes. This was a major fysical and social problem until the ostomy pouch was invented and produced.

Elise Sørensen found inspiration to the invention as her sister as a young woman underwent a colostomy surgery.

Elise Sørensen obtained a patent on the ostomy pouch in 1954. The production of the ostomy pouch led to the foundation of the Danish company Coloplast which has its headquarters in Humlebæk, north of Copenhagen.