If you have a colon cancer, your colorectal surgeon may remove the affected portion of your colon. This may involve a hospital stay.
Pain management after colorectal surgery has improved, but it can be uncomfortable for a while after the operation. It’s important to ask about pain management before your surgery. Visit https://www.drwesleyhigh.com/ to learn more.
A colorectal surgeon is a general surgeon who has completed specialized training in the surgical care of conditions that affect your large intestine (colon), rectum and anus. Your GI doctor (gastroenterologist) may refer you to a colorectal surgeon for a variety of reasons.
A colostomy can be temporary or permanent, and it allows you to pass stool outside your body. The procedure can be performed during surgery, and it is typically a minimally invasive procedure. After a colostomy, you’ll have a hole in your colon that is connected to a pouch attached to your skin with a tube called a stoma or ostomy bag. The stoma allows your stool to leave your body, and the ostomy bag collects the waste.
Colorectal surgery can be done using traditional open techniques or laparoscopic methods. During laparoscopic surgery, your doctor makes small cuts in your abdomen and inserts a camera to guide the operation. Your doctor can also use robotic surgery to perform a colonectomy or rectal resection (rectal cancer) procedure, which helps to speed up recovery times and reduce complications.
In addition to removing tumors, your doctor can also treat diverticula (small bulging pouches in your digestive tract) and other conditions of the lower gastrointestinal tract. Your doctor can also address fecal incontinence (the involuntary passage of stool) by examining the interplay between sensory nerves, pelvic floor muscle control and stool consistency.
Your GI doctor can also recommend surgery for hemorrhoids, anal fistulas and anal infections. Often, these conditions don’t require surgery, but sometimes they do. If your condition is severe, your GI doctor can refer you to a colorectal specialist for treatment. Before you undergo surgery, your GI doctor will discuss the possible risks and benefits with you.
How do I find a colorectal surgeon?
A colorectal surgeon (also known as a proctologist) is a doctor who specializes in conditions of the large intestine (your colon, rectum, and anus). Your doctor might refer you to a colorectal surgeon if they think your condition may need surgery.
The most common conditions that need surgery are colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and rectum or anal fistulas or hernias. But a colorectal surgeon can also treat other problems, like polyps or diverticula, or perform complex reconstructive surgery.
RWJBarnabas Health is part of the 80% by 2018 initiative to increase colorectal cancer screening rates. Our team of colorectal specialists is dedicated to providing you with world-class care, close to home.
Our doctors have advanced training and extensive experience in treating conditions of the large intestine, rectum, and anus. They lecture about surgical advances to their colleagues and work closely with other healthcare professionals to customize a treatment plan for you.
When possible, our surgeons use minimally invasive procedures that involve smaller incisions, which can lead to less pain and faster recovery. They may also use a surgical robot, which allows them to navigate the bowels with greater precision and accuracy than human hands can. We also offer bloodless surgery for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, a procedure that doesn’t require any blood transfusions.
Before surgery, you’ll be given general anesthesia to help you sleep through the procedure. Your doctor will talk to you about the length of your operation and answer any questions you might have. Once your procedure is over, you’ll either return to the hospital’s recovery room or go home. If you’re undergoing rectal cancer treatment, your doctor might prescribe chemotherapy or radiation therapy before surgery to shrink the tumor and improve your chance of success.
What are the qualifications for a colorectal surgeon?
A colorectal surgeon must first graduate from medical school and complete a five-year general surgery residency. After completing their general surgery training, they must complete a colon and rectal surgery fellowship. They must then obtain a medical license in their state. This process typically involves passing written and oral exams.
A board-certified colorectal surgeon is an expert in the medical, surgical and endoscopic management of disorders of the colon, rectum and anus. They have completed extensive specialty training and have passed a rigorous examination. It’s important to find a board-certified surgeon because they have been officially recognized for their expertise and commitment to quality care.
In addition to colorectal cancer, these specialists treat many other conditions related to the bowels and anus. These include polyps, which are small masses of tissue that can be either benign or malignant and may lead to bowel cancer. They also perform sigmoidoscopies, which examine the lower colon and are used to detect polyps and other abnormalities. They also treat inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.
Additionally, these surgeons often treat anal fistulas and hemorrhoids. These are tunnels that develop between the inside of your colon and the outside skin around the anus or anal canal and cause pain with bowel movements. They can also perform sacrocolumnal hernia repairs.
Some of these doctors work closely with gastroenterologists, who specialize in diagnosing and treating conditions that affect the entire gastrointestinal tract. People who have a condition that requires surgery of the small intestine, colon, anus or perianal area are often referred to these experts by their general doctor or gastroenterologist. A person can also visit the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons website to find a colorectal surgeon in their area.
What conditions do colorectal surgeons treat?
Millions of Americans suffer from conditions that affect the colon and rectum, causing pain, discomfort, embarrassment and even loss of function. If you are diagnosed with one of these conditions, your doctor may refer you to a colorectal surgeon for evaluation and treatment.
Using minimally invasive surgical methods, your physician can reduce complications and improve outcomes. For example, your physician can use advanced techniques like laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgeries to minimize incisions, which shorten recovery time.
A physical exam of the anal and rectal areas can detect hemorrhoids, warts and other skin changes that indicate a colon or rectum problem. Your doctor can also diagnose conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, rectal polyps and rectal cancer with diagnostic procedures like a colonoscopy.
For patients with more serious issues, a colorectal surgeon can treat conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis and rectal prolapse with surgical procedures that improve the health of your lower digestive tract. This could include surgery to correct structural defects like fistulas or hernias, strictureplasty, or a colectomy to remove damaged tissue in cases of severe disease.
Your physician can also perform anorectal procedures to treat conditions such as hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse and incontinence caused by a weak or overactive sphincter. These can often be performed in the office with minimal downtime. Many colorectal surgeons have specialized training in unique surgical methods that address conditions specific to the colon and rectum, allowing them to provide more effective care for their patients. They also participate in research aimed at improving surgical techniques and patient outcomes. Their skills, experience and compassion help them alleviate patient concerns throughout the treatment process. This ensures that your experience is as stress-free and safe as possible.
What are the benefits of colorectal surgery?
Colorectal surgeons specialize in diagnosing and treating conditions involving the large intestine, or lower gastrointestinal tract. They are referred by gastroenterologists or primary care doctors when surgical intervention is needed for problems like colon and rectal cancer, severe constipation, hemorrhoids, pelvic floor dysfunction or inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis. In these situations, the surgeon can remove a tumor, repair an intestinal tear or create an ostomy to allow waste to exit through another opening in the body instead of through the colon and rectum.
The surgeon can also use minimally invasive surgery techniques to perform procedures that reduce post-surgical pain, inflammation and recovery time, as well as improve patient outcomes. These techniques include laparoscopic colon resection and robotic-assisted surgery. Enhanced visualization and precision offered by these advanced procedures allow the surgeon to make smaller incisions, resulting in less damage to surrounding tissues.
Prior to surgery, the surgeon will ask you to drink a liquid laxative solution (bowel prep) to clear your bowels of food and stool. This will help to ensure a clean surgical field during the procedure, which can prevent infections at the site of the operation.
If your surgeon uses a minimally invasive procedure, you will likely be able to return home the same day or shortly thereafter. However, if your surgeon uses an open procedure, you may require a longer stay in the hospital.
After colorectal surgery, your doctor will provide you with instructions regarding your long-term care and recovery. This can vary depending on why you had surgery in the first place, for example, cancer patients will require ongoing monitoring and testing. Some patients who had an ostomy may be able to reverse it at a later date, but others may need permanent ostomy care.