Ostomy Bags and Davening/Teffilin

 

Question:

I recently had surgery and I now wear (with Hashem’s help only temporarily) an ileostomy pouch, which means that my bowel was cut at the ilium (the lowest part of the small intestine) and surgically rerouted outside of my body through a hole in my abdomen. Its output flows into a bag—the ostomy pouch—which must be emptied periodically, in my case rather frequently.

My question is, how does this affect my davening, wearing tefillin, making brachos, etc.?

In practice, I empty my ostomy pouch before going to shul in the morning, although there is always some residue clinging to the inside. (That is inevitable.) I put on tefillin and begin davening, but I find that the pouch begins filling up again before I am finished. Of course, it is worn under my clothing, so it isn’t visible, but I can feel it. What should I do?

 

Answer:

You may put on Tefillin and daven while the pouch is covered. You don’t need to stop when it fills up.

 

Sources:

ראה אג”ק כ”ק אד”ש ח”ט ע’ קכג וקפב. וש”נ. וראה בציץ אליעזר חלק ח תשובה א. וראה אצלנו 8356. ואינו צריך להמתין עד שיכלו (אע”פ שלכאורה דינו כצואה) כיון שאינו בגדר עשיית צרכיו ורק כשמרגיש יציאתם צריך להמתין – ראה תשובת הרמ”א סי’ צח. ובנדו”ד אינו מרגיש יציאתם כ”א שהכיס מתמלא ואין חשש.

 

 

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