What is colon surgery?

Colon surgery includes any surgical procedure done on the large intestine, also called the colon, to treat a colon disease.

Your large intestine is the end of your digestive tract and includes your colon and rectum. It removes water and nutrients from food waste and holds it until you eliminate it from your body.

Colon surgery might not cure the underlying condition, but it can prevent the further spread of the disease or ease its symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Who needs colon surgery?

Many conditions affect the large intestine that may require colon surgery. However, depending on the condition, you might try nonsurgical treatments first. If these treatments fail to manage your condition, then surgery will likely be recommended.

Conditions that can require colon surgery include:

• Ulcerative colitis
• Crohn’s disease
• Bowel obstruction
• Diverticulitis
• Uncontrolled bleeding

Colon surgery is also the primary treatment for colon and rectal cancer. You could also benefit from colon cancer surgery as a preventive measure if you have a high risk of developing colon cancer.

What kinds of colon surgery are there?

Colon surgery involves removing part or all of your colon, which is called a colectomy. The kinds of colon surgery include:

Total colectomy

A total colectomy is the complete removal of your colon.

Partial colectomy

For a partial colectomy, the surgeons only remove a part of your colon.

Hemicolectomy

During a hemicolectomy, the surgeons remove the right or left portion of your colon.

Proctocolectomy

A proctocolectomy involves removing both your colon and rectum.

The type of colon surgery you need depends on your diagnosis.

How is colon surgery done?

One Surgical Specialists is a leader in minimally invasive surgery and, when possible, uses robotic surgery to do colon surgery.

Robotic surgery is an advance in minimally invasive surgery. It combines laparoscopic surgical tools and techniques with robotic technology.

With robotic surgery, the experts at One Surgical Specialists can do complex procedures through smaller incisions with greater accuracy and flexibility. For patients, robotic colon surgery means less pain after surgery and a faster recovery.

However, robotic colon surgery won’t be the right choice for all patients. The surgeons at One Surgical Specialists take a patient-focused approach to care and use surgical tools and techniques that provide the best possible results.

In some cases, the surgeons will use traditional open surgical techniques that involve making one large incision in your abdomen to perform colon surgery.

Call One Surgical Specialists today or schedule an appointment online to talk to the surgeons about colon surgery.