Colon Cancer Surgery

Why would I need colon cancer surgery?

You might need colon cancer surgery if you have a malignant (cancerous) tumor in your colon. The colon (large bowel) is the lower part of your gastrointestinal tract. It starts at the bottom of the small intestine and ends at your rectum.

It’s normal for the cells in your body to grow and divide, get old, and die. New cells then take their place. When you have cancer, new cells form even though your body doesn’t need them, and old cells don’t die. The result is tissue masses or tumors that keep getting bigger.

Colon cancer cells invade the wall of your colon, spread to your lymph nodes, and trigger tumor development in other organs. Without expert treatment, colon cancer can be fatal.

The Arizona Preferred Surgeons team views your colon and any tumors during a colonoscopy procedure. Colonoscopy is an effective screening method for colon cancer in its earliest stages.

What does colon cancer surgery involve?

The kind of colon cancer surgery the Arizona Preferred Surgeons team does depends on how much of your colon is affected and whether the cancer has spread.

One kind of colon surgery is resection. This involves removing the diseased part of the colon and reattaching the healthy ends.

Sometimes your surgeon must remove large areas of the colon or take part or all of your rectum out as well. If this happens, you’ll need a stoma — a hole in your abdominal wall. The stoma carries digestive system waste to an external collection pouch (colostomy).

A stoma might need to stay in place. But the Arizona Preferred Surgeons team can also do an ileoanal anastomosis (J-pouch surgery). This procedure creates a pouch from your small intestine that connects to your anus. Using this technique, you can pass stools normally following surgery.

What techniques are used in colon cancer surgery?

For some patients, traditional open surgery is still the best approach. But where possible, the Arizona Preferred Surgeons team uses minimally invasive techniques like laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery. These methods use much smaller incisions than open surgery, resulting in less pain after surgery and faster healing.

Another option is transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS), which also uses laparoscopic instruments. However, with TAMIS, your surgeon accesses your colon through your anus rather than making any incisions.

Call Arizona Preferred Surgeons today or book an appointment online to learn more about colon cancer surgery.