Your large intestine (colon) is the final part of the journey food takes through your lower digestive tract. Conditions that affect the colon, rectum and anus often require surgery.

Surgeons may remove a section of your colon or the entire colon. This is called a colectomy or colon resection. Some people need a colostomy, which requires a bag that collects waste. Connect with Colorectal Surgeon Phoenix for reliable help.

Your doctor may refer you to a colorectal surgeon for any number of reasons. These include rectal polyps that are too large for your gastroenterologist to remove through a colonoscopy, or if you have an intestinal condition such as inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis), a hernia in the rectum or anal abscesses, fistulas and pruritus ani (itching in the perianal region).

A colorectal surgeon has special training to diagnose conditions of the lower digestive tract. They are also trained to treat these conditions surgically, if needed.

Most of the time, colorectal surgeons will use endoscopic procedures to look inside the colon and rectum. This involves putting a scope, a long, thin tube with a camera and light on the end, into your anus or rectum. The surgeon can then see and operate inside the colon, removing or treating any abnormal areas.

For example, a colorectal surgeon might use a tool called a snare—which looks like a wire made into a lasso shape—to remove polyps or other tissue from the colon. Or they might use a procedure called sigmoidoscopy, which is similar to a colonoscopy, but doesn’t examine the entire colon. Instead, the surgeon puts a sigmoidoscope into the anus or rectum and down the sigmoid canal, examining the lower portion of the colon and the rectum.

These endoscopic procedures also allow your physician to determine if a tumor is cancerous or precancerous. If a tumor is cancerous, the colorectal surgeon can make sure it’s completely removed and that the margins are negative (not touching any other tissues). They can also help plan further treatment based on what the pathology report says about the resection margins and invasion depth of the cancer.

In some cases, your colorectal surgeon might perform laparoscopic surgery. During this, they will make several small incisions around your belly button and then insert a long tube with a camera and surgical tools into one of the incisions to see your colon on a screen and operate on it without opening up your abdomen. They might also remove part of your colon or the entire colon, reattach the two ends and connect them to the small intestine, or they might create a colostomy for conditions such as Crohn’s disease or inflammatory bowel disease.

Treatment

Your large intestine, or colon, is the last part of the journey food takes through your digestive tract. If you have problems in this part of your bowel, your doctor may treat them surgically.

Colon cancer and polyps can be treated with minimally invasive surgery. During this type of surgery, your surgeon uses a scope (a long, flexible tube with a camera and light at the end) to see inside your colon. They can also use the scope to remove polyps and other tissue samples. This type of surgery is called a colonoscopy.

In other cases, your surgeon might need to make an incision (cut) in the abdomen. The surgeon then removes the portion of your colon containing disease, along with nearby lymph nodes and fatty tissue. They might also remove the entire colon, which is referred to as a colectomy. When your surgeon reattaches the ends of the colon, they do so using stitches or staples. They might also use a medical device called a stoma, which allows waste to leave your body through an opening in the abdominal wall. The stoma is attached to a bag that collects the waste.

Other conditions your colorectal surgeon might treat include a rectal prolapse, in which the end of your large intestine slips out of the anus, or fistula, which is a small tunnel that develops between the skin and the colon or rectum. The condition can ooze blood and pus and cause serious infections. Surgery can repair a fistula and prevent its recurrence.

If your colon cancer has spread to other parts of your body, such as the liver or lungs, your surgeon might try to relieve symptoms by removing the areas where the cancer has spread. This might improve your chances of survival and help you feel better while minimizing the side effects of chemotherapy.

Your surgeon might need to use a different procedure if the cancer is too advanced or it has spread beyond your colon. For example, a surgical oncologist might use a laparoscopic colon resection to remove the cancerous colon and nearby lymph nodes and then reattach the healthy colon ends. This might result in a shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery.

Surgery

Your large intestine (colon) is the last part of your digestive system before waste exits your body. If you have symptoms in this area, your healthcare provider may refer you to a colorectal surgeon. These doctors specialize in the colon, rectum and anus. They treat conditions such as polyps, cancer and other issues that can affect your lower gastrointestinal tract.

Surgery for a condition that affects the colon or rectum can be either minimally invasive or open. With minimally invasive procedures, your doctor makes a small incision (cut) in the abdomen and inserts a small camera to examine the area. They can also remove a polyp or other abnormal tissue with this technique. These procedures may be performed if a diagnosis from a colonoscopy is inconclusive or when other treatments haven’t helped you.

With open surgery, your surgeon makes a longer incision in the abdomen and removes the damaged section of the colon and/or rectum. They might also remove nearby lymph nodes. Your surgeon then stitches the ends of your bowel together. Sometimes this doesn’t heal well, and a leak may develop. If this happens, you might need a temporary or permanent colostomy. You’ll wear a special bag that collects your stool (waste) until the new connection between the bowel ends heals.

If you have a tumor or a lot of polyps, your doctor might recommend a type of colectomy that involves removing the whole colon. However, this is usually only used when the cancer hasn’t spread and you still have healthy colon tissue. Your surgeon might also recommend this surgery if you have other serious health problems that can’t be treated with other therapies.

Your doctor might also perform a proctectomy, which is surgery to remove the entire rectum. This is most often done to treat rectal cancer. A surgeon might also use this procedure to treat other conditions that can affect the rectum and colon, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This surgery is typically done through an incision on your stomach or lower abdomen. Depending on your situation, you might be able to go home the same day or you might stay in the hospital for several days or a week.

Recovery

Our colorectal surgeons use the latest surgical techniques to promote healing, and participate in national and international research studies to improve surgical outcomes for diseases of the colon, rectum and anus. They treat conditions such as colorectal cancers, diverticulitis and inflammatory bowel disease as well as hernias and polyps.

Surgery is usually only recommended if other treatment methods such as diet and lifestyle changes have not been successful in controlling your symptoms. Your doctor will discuss your options before recommending surgery.

Before you have surgery, your doctor may ask you to drink a special cleansing solution and take a series of tests. This is called a bowel preparation and helps to remove waste from your large intestine and rectum before the operation. You should not eat or drink anything except clear liquids for several hours before surgery, and you may be given a laxative or an enema to empty your bowels. You may also be required to have blood samples taken and may be given oral antibiotics before the procedure.

When the bowel prep is complete, you will be taken to the recovery room or post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). You will be monitored for several days as your body heals from the operation. You may experience pain after surgery, which will be managed with medication.

Colon resection: When cancer is detected, your surgeon may need to remove part or all of your colon and rectum. This is done using open or minimally invasive surgery. In minimally invasive surgery, one or more incisions are made and small surgical instruments along with a video camera are used to remove the affected tissues.

If the cancer has spread beyond the colon, your surgeon may need to re-connect your bowels with an anastomosis or create a new opening in your colon that allows waste to pass through into a bag outside the body (a colostomy or ileostomy). This is done either through a long incision or through smaller incisions.

After you have your colon surgery, you will need to follow a liquid diet until your bowel function returns to normal and avoid foods that can irritate the bowel or cause wind and bloating. You will also need to restrict certain activities that put a strain on your abdomen, such as heavy lifting. Your colorectal team and nurses will advise you when it is safe to return home.