Wellstar Colon & Rectal Surgery

Understanding Colon & Rectal Surgery

Our colon and rectal surgeons have advanced training in the latest surgical approaches such as robotic surgery, simultaneous transplant of multiple organs, intraoperative radiation therapy and sacral nerve stimulation. Our goal is to provide effective, efficient and safe treatment options. Wellstar surgeons collaborate with leading digestive health experts to provide comprehensive, compassionate care and optimum outcomes.

What We Treat

• Colon and rectal cancer
• Colon polyps
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Diverticulitis
• Hemorrhoids
• Fistula and fissure
• Constipation

Procedures

Until 1990, most surgeries to treat colorectal diseases required a large incision across the abdomen, opening up the intestinal cavity to perform the necessary repair. Advances in medicine, surgical techniques, and technology have set a new standard of care.

While surgeons at Wellstar utilize “open” surgery techniques for some major procedures, almost all colorectal surgeries at WellStar are performed using “minimally invasive” or laparoscopic approaches. Minimally invasive surgery involves using precise instruments and a tiny video camera through small incisions in the abdomen. Patients who undergo minimally invasive surgery recover faster, with less pain after surgery. Laparoscopic techniques are commonly used in operations to treat diverticular disease, ulcerative colitis, Chrohn’s disease, severe constipation, and rectal cancer.

Several Wellstar surgeons use the da Vinci^® Surgical System to assist in complex colorectal surgeries. The da Vinci^® Surgical System improves the surgeon’s vision and control.

Today, surgeons at multiple Wellstar hospitals use the da Vinci^® Surgical System to assist with a variety of surgeries.

Colectomy

Colectomy is an operation to remove part or all of the large intestine (colon). Colectomies are routinely performed to treat diseases that cause painful and/or potentially dangerous symptoms. Laparoscopic colectomy involves using trocars (thin tubes) placed through small incisions. The surgeon then inflates the abdomen with carbon dioxide gas. A thin telescope is inserted through one of the trocars to allow the surgeon to see the abdomen on a high-definition TV monitor. Using specialized instruments, the surgeon removes (or resects) the colon. When the resection is complete, the surgeon has the option of immediately restoring the bowel, by stitching or stapling together both the cut ends (primary anastomosis), or creating a colostomy.

Colostomy

For a colostomy, a portion of the large intestine is brought through the abdominal wall to create an opening to carry feces out to a small pouch. For an ileostomy, the entire colon, rectum and anus is removed or bypassed and the lower end of the small intestine is used for the new opening.

While some colostomies are permanent, many are temporary procedures to relieve pressure on the large intestine as it heals. Due to advances in colorectal surgical techniques, colostomies overall are used in fewer and fewer procedures.