The continent ileostomy (CI) was pioneered by Dr. Nils Kock of Sweden, and despite its success and acceptance in the United States in the last few years, common knowledge and understanding is still lacking. To promote national education and understanding of this surgery, in March, 1977 the United Ostomy Association (UOA) Board voted to establish a CI Committee whose goals were “the general education and publicity of the CI as a surgical procedure to both the medical profession and the layperson and to provide an information exchange on the surgery among other ostomates.” It was decided that a preliminary step towards these goals could best be accomplished by surveying persons who had undergone the surgery.