Colectomy: An Overview

The surgical procedure to remove all or part of the colon is known as a colectomy. The colon is a long, tube-like organ at the end of the GI tract. In some cases, it becomes too diseased to be fit to remain connected to the GI tract. In that condition, the surgeon will want to remove it during the colectomy.

Colectomy can be of different types. Those types include:

• Total colectomy
• Partial colectomy
• Hemicolectomy
• Proctocolectomy

Colectomy surgery generally results in the patient requiring another procedure that involves the creation of a bowel diversion to allow wastes to leave the body.

Why may you need colectomy surgery?

The primary reason you may need to undergo colectomy surgery is an underlying condition that affects your colon. These conditions include the following.

• Uncontrollable bleeding: The surgeon may want to remove a part of your colon if it results in severe bleeding.
• Bowel obstruction: A blockage in the colon is an emergency that you are going to have to address immediately. This problem may result in you requiring total or partial colectomy.
• Colon cancer: Cancer at an early stage may prompt your surgeon to opt to remove a small portion of your bowel. The surgeon will have to remove more of the colon if cancer is in an advanced stage.
• Crohn’s disease: Crohn’s disease can result in severely painful symptoms. You may be able to find some relief through medications. Your doctor will refer you to a surgeon if your symptoms are uncontrollable.
• Ulcerative colitis: UC, just as Crohn’s disease, can result in very painful symptoms, which you might be able to control through medications. If it is not possible, you may need to go for the removal of the affected part of the colon.

Colectomy surgery

The surgical staff will take you to the preparation room to monitor your health and endurance before surgery. They will want to make sure that you are fit enough to undergo the surgical procedure. They may take some blood tests and perform different screenings to make sure of that. After checking, they will take you to the surgery room.

Colectomy surgery can be of two types: open colectomy and laparoscopic colectomy. During open surgery, the surgeon will make a large incision in your belly to access the affected portion of your colon. Laparoscopic colectomy, on the other hand, is a less invasive surgical procedure that involves several small incisions in the belly. The surgeon will insert a monitoring device through one of the incisions to access the problem area. This monitoring device has a camera on the end that has to go inside through the incision. He will use special tools to perform surgery.

After removing the diseased section of the colon, the surgeon will perform one of the following procedures to create an excretory pathway.

• After removing the affected part of the colon, the surgeon may reconnect the colon. It will allow you to retain your natural bowel function. The consistency of waste might become more pasty or liquid, though.
• If the infection has spread to the rectum and anus, the surgeon may want to remove those as well. He will then connect the end of the active GI tract to an opening in the abdomen. You are going to have to wear an ostomy bag to manage stool evacuations in this regard.
• The surgeon may connect the active end of the bowel to the anus in case your colectomy has to involve the removal of your colon and rectum. This procedure generally results in watery waste evacuations.