A colorectal surgeon, or proctologist, specializes in surgery of your colon and rectum. They treat conditions such as hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, and anal fistulas.

Before surgery, you drink a laxative liquid to empty your lower digestive tract. This will take several hours, and you will be under general anesthesia. Contact Copper Mountain Surgical now!

Colorectal surgeons specialize in diagnosing and treating problems involving the colon, rectum and anus. Your primary care doctor may refer you to a specialist for any number of reasons, including the need to diagnose and treat cancer or other conditions that affect your lower digestive tract.

The most common reason for a referral to a colorectal surgeon is to diagnose colon cancer. This is the most common type of cancer affecting the lower digestive tract, and it is one of the most treatable when diagnosed early.

A healthcare provider will do a physical exam of the abdomen and rectal area to look for signs of cancer. A mass in the colon or rectum is often the first indication of colorectal cancer, although other signs include blood in your stool, abdominal pain and a change in your bowel movements. Your health care provider may also order a blood test to measure your carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), which is a tumor marker.

If your provider determines you have colorectal cancer, he or she will do further tests to find out how far the cancer has spread, which is called staging. A CT or MRI scan of your abdomen, pelvic area and chest can help with this, as can a pelvic exam and a rectal biopsy.

Surgery is usually the main treatment for colorectal cancer, and it aims to remove any cancerous tissue and prevent it from spreading. Your health care provider will usually reconnect the bowel after removing any cancerous areas. In some cases, the surgery will require creating a stoma for drainage into a colostomy bag, which is temporary and can be removed later.

A colon and rectal surgeon is a general surgeon who has undergone special training to diagnose and treat conditions that affect the large intestine, or colon, rectum and anus. He or she may also perform medical treatments for conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, hemorrhoids and anal fissures. However, a colorectal surgeon will not treat gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, which is a gastroenterologist’s specialty.

Treatment

A colorectal surgeon (also called a proctologist) specializes in the surgical and non-surgical treatment of diseases in your lower gastrointestinal tract, which includes your colon, rectum and anus. Your doctor may refer you to a colorectal surgeon if you have symptoms that could be related to your colon.

When colon cancer is caught early, surgery can usually remove the entire tumor and prevent it from coming back. With the latest surgical techniques, your doctor can do this in a minimally invasive manner that leaves you with less scarring.

Your surgeon may also perform a more extensive operation to treat colon cancer that has spread beyond the lining of your colon. In this procedure, your doctor can remove part of the colon along with nearby lymph nodes. Your surgeon will then reattach the remaining parts of your colon. This type of operation is sometimes called a hemicolectomy, partial colectomy or segmental resection.

A colon polyp is a small growth that may be benign or malignant. Your doctor can remove polyps during a routine colonoscopy. In some cases, the removal of polyps can be the only treatment needed for colon cancer in its early stages.

Other conditions a colorectal surgeon treats include Crohn’s disease, diverticular diseases and hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids can often be treated with a rubber band ligation, but more severe hemorrhoids may require surgical removal.

For patients who need a colon or rectal surgery, your colorectal surgeon will use traditional open surgery techniques, or minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques that leave smaller scars and reduce postoperative pain and recovery time. Your doctor will discuss the pros and cons of each option with you.

Before your surgery, your doctor will give you medications to help put you to sleep and keep you comfortable during the operation. Depending on the extent of your surgery, you will stay in the hospital for several days. During your hospital stay, your doctor will make sure you can take care of yourself and recover from the general anesthesia used during the surgery. He or she will monitor your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and other vital signs.

Preparation

The large intestine, also called the colon and sometimes known as the lower gastrointestinal tract, is the final part of the journey food takes through your body. If you have issues with your lower GI tract, such as a hernia or colon cancer, a primary care doctor or gastroenterologist may refer you to a colorectal surgeon for specialized treatment.

During colorectal surgery, your surgeon will remove or repair sections of the colon, rectum and anus that are damaged or diseased. This may include clearing an obstruction, repairing tears, and reconnecting sections of the digestive tract. For severe cases, your surgeon may have to create a pouch on the outside of your body that connects to the anus, so waste is removed through this site instead of the colon and rectum. This pouch is called an ostomy and is often temporary, but it can be permanent depending on the severity of your condition.

Before surgery, you will likely undergo several tests and scans to check your general health and the condition of your colon, rectum and anus. You will also need to prepare your colon for the procedure by following bowel preparation instructions. These may involve taking laxatives for a few days to clear the lower GI tract of stool, ensuring your surgeon has an empty and clean surgical field that can help prevent post-surgical infections.

Once you arrive at the hospital for your procedure, a nurse will take your vital signs and prepare you for surgery. During this time, you should ask your doctor any questions you have and make arrangements for someone to drive you home once the surgery is complete. You should also bring your insurance identification cards, a copy of any Advanced Directives or other important documents and a list of all medications you are currently taking with their dosages and names.

You will be sedated during the surgery, so you won’t feel any pain or discomfort. After the surgery is complete, you will be moved to recovery. You will stay in the hospital for a few days, during which your doctor will monitor your progress and address any post-surgical concerns.

Recovery

Depending on the type of surgery, you might have to stay in the hospital for a few days or more. You’ll probably start off not being able to eat solid food and will only be allowed clear liquids at first. You may also receive nutritional supplements in a tube that goes into the stomach or down to a vein (drip). A dietitian can give you advice on diet. Painkillers will be given to help ease the discomfort.

A colorectal surgeon can remove cancer or other diseases that affect the colon and rectum with minimal damage to other organs and tissues. They can make an incision in the abdomen or use laparoscopic techniques to avoid large cuts and scars. In some cases, they can even remove only the affected section of the colon and reconnect the remaining ends. This treatment is called colectomy or proctectomy. It’s used to treat cancer, polyps and inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

If they cannot reconnect the intestines, they might need to create a new opening in your abdominal wall and attach a pouch for collecting waste (called a colostomy or ileostomy). This is sometimes used as a temporary solution until the intestines recover. However, they can also perform a surgery called ileal pouch anal anastomosis or J-pouch surgery to restore bowel function. This procedure removes the need for a colostomy bag and allows you to have normal bowel movements.

Other common procedures include sigmoid volvulus correction (an operation to correct a swollen colon), rectal prolapse repair, ovarian cyst removal and hernia repair. Colorectal surgeons are trained to use laparoscopic and robotic methods for all of these.

After your surgery, it’s important to take it easy for a while so the body can heal. But it’s also essential to start moving around as soon as you can to prevent complications, such as blood clots or pneumonia. You can ask your doctor when it’s safe to increase physical activity. It’s also important to follow a nutritious diet and keep up with your regular appointments.