What is a Colectomy?
Colectomy is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of your colon. Your colon, also called your large intestine, is a long tubelike organ at the end of your digestive tract. Colectomy may be necessary to treat or prevent diseases and conditions that affect your colon. There are various types of colectomy operations:
- Total colectomy involves removing the entire colon.
- Partial colectomy involves removing part of the colon and may also be called subtotal colectomy.
- Hemicolectomy involves removing the right or left portion of the colon.
- Proctocolectomy involves removing both the colon and rectum.
Colectomy surgery usually requires other procedures to reattach the remaining portions of your digestive system and permit waste to leave your body.
What to Expect:
You will receive general anesthesia before your surgery. This will make you asleep and unable to feel pain.
During the surgery:
- Your surgeon will make a surgical cut in your belly.
- The surgeon will remove your large intestine. Your rectum and anus will be left in place.
- Your surgeon will sew the end of your small intestine to your rectum.
Today, some surgeons perform this operation using a camera. The surgery is done with a few small surgical cuts, and sometimes a larger cut big enough for the surgeon to assist with the operation. The advantages of this surgery, which is called laparoscopy, are a faster recovery, less pain, and only a few small cuts.
Source: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007379.htm
