An Overview of Colon Surgery

Anyone who has been diagnosed with colon cancer might have probably heard about the option to undergo a colon surgery from their doctor. Indeed, colon surgery remains to be the most common form of treatment for colon cancer. There are conditions wherein doctors might not recommend a colon surgery, especially during the earliest stages of cancer. What doctors normally do in this case is to remove the tumors or polyps with a colonoscope. However, when the colonic growths cannot be removed through a colonoscopy, a colon polyp surgery would be necessary.

There are different kinds of colon surgery. The colon removal surgery would vary, depending on the severity of the colon disease endured by the patient. When colon cancer is identified at later stages, a surgical resection of the colon might be necessary. A surgical resection of the colon involves making an incision in the abdomen, removing the growth or tumor, and then reconnecting the large intestine until the patient again has one long and healthy piece.

An ostomy is another kind of colon surgery. This refers to a detour for the intestines. Normally, waste matter travels through the large intestine into the rectum and is then released through the anus. In an ostomy, the waste matter bypasses the rectum. Instead, fecal matter is eliminated from the body through a port made in the abdomen and is then collected in a colostomy bag attached externally to the body. An ostomy can either be permanent or temporary.

There is a new kind of colon surgically that is starting to gain popularity. Laparoscopic colon surgery is a minimally invasive surgery that is starting to replace colon resections and conventional or open sigmoid colon surgery. Laparoscopic or colonoscopy surgery involves using a tiny telescope, which is attached to a video camera, so that a surgeon will be able to see the inside of the abdomen. This kind of surgery typically allows the colon to function normally faster, and leaves smaller scars.

Patients are typically concerned about colon surgery recovery, knowing that surgical procedures can result to a lot of pain. After colon surgery, patients will need to take pain killers to better manage postoperative pain. In laparoscopic colon surgeries, postoperative pain tends to be minimal, making patients to return to their normal activities faster. Doctors might also recommend a specific diet after colon surgery to help patients have less painful bowel movement, and to avoid complications in the parts of the large intestine that have been involved in the surgery.