About Conventional Colon Surgery….

Each year, more than 600,000 surgical procedures are performed in the United States to treat a number of colon diseases. Although surgery is not always a cure, it is often the best way to stop the spread of disease and alleviate pain and discomfort.

Patients undergoing colon surgery often face a long and difficult recovery because the traditional “open” procedures are highly invasive. In most cases, surgeons are required to make a long incision. Surgery results in an average hospital stay of a week or more and usually 6 weeks of recovery.

What is Laparoscopic Colon Resection?

A technique known as minimally invasive laparoscopic colon surgery allows surgeons to perform many common colon procedures through small incisions. Depending on the type of procedure, patients may leave the hospital in a few days and return to normal activities more quickly than patients recovering from open surgery.

In most laparoscopic colon resections, surgeons operate through 2 or 3 small openings (each about a quarter inch) while watching an enlarged image of the patient’s internal organs on a television monitor. In some cases, one of the small openings may be lengthened to 2 or 3 inches to complete the procedure.

What are the advantages of Laparoscopic Colon Resection?

Results may vary depending upon the type of procedure and patient’s overall condition. Common advantages are:

  • Less postoperative pain
  • May shorten hospital stay
  • May result in a faster return to solid-food diet
  • May result in a quicker return of bowel function
  • Quicker return to normal activity
  • Improved cosmetic results

How Is Laparoscopic Colon Resection Performed?

“Laparoscopic” surgery describes the techniques a surgeon uses to gain access to the internal surgery site.

Most laparoscopic colon procedures start the same way. Using a cannula (a narrow tube-like instrument), the surgeon enters the abdomen. A laparoscope (a tiny telescope connected to a video camera) is inserted through the cannula, giving the surgeon a magnified view of the patient’s internal organs on a television monitor. Several other cannulas are inserted to allow the surgeon to work inside and remove part of the colon. The entire procedure may be completed through the cannulas or by lengthening one of the small cannula incisions.

What happens if the operation cannot be performed or completed by the Laparoscopic method?

In a number of patients the laparoscopic method cannot be performed. Factors that may increase the possibility of choosing or converting to the “open” procedure may include:

  • Obesity
  • A history of prior abdominal surgery causing dense scar tissue
  • Inability to visualize organs
  • Bleeding problems during the operation
  • Large tumors

The decision to perform the open procedure is a judgment decision made by your surgeon either before or during the actual operation. When the surgeon feels that it is safest to convert the laparoscopic procedure to an open one, this is not a complication, but rather sound surgical judgment. The decision to convert to an open procedure is strictly based on patient safety.

What should I expect after Surgery?

After the operation, it is important to follow your doctor’s instructions. Although many people feel better in a few days, remember that your body needs time to heal.

  • You are encouraged to be out of bed the day after surgery and to walk. This will help diminish the soreness in your muscles.
  • You are encouraged to be out of bed the day after surgery and to walk. This will help diminish the soreness in your muscles.
  • Call and schedule a follow-up appointment within 2 weeks after your operation.

What Complications can occur?

These complications include:

  • Bleeding
  • Infection
  • A leak where the colon was connected back together.
  • Injury to adjacent organs such as the small intestine, ureter, or bladder
  • Blood clots to the lungs.

It is important for you to recognize the early signs of possible complications.