Bowel Resection for Colorectal Cancer Surgery Overview Resection is another name for any operation that removes tissue or part of an organ. Bowel resection for colorectal cancer
The goal of bowel resection is to take out the part of the colon or rectum where the cancer is. Nearby lymph nodes laparoscopy
How It Is Done
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slide 1 of 5, Anatomy of the colon and rectum,
The colon and rectum are the last parts of the bowel (intestine). The bowel extends from the opening where food leaves the stomach to the opening where feces leave the body (anus). The bowel helps to process food, absorb nutrients and water, and get rid of waste.
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slide 2 of 5, Colon cancer site,
Cancer is shown in a section of the descending colon.
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slide 3 of 5, Bowel section removed,
Resection is another name for any operation that removes tissue or part of an organ. Bowel resection, also called partial colectomy, for colorectal cancer removes the tumour and part of the colon or rectum around the tumour. Both ends of the bowel section being removed are stapled and cut. Nearby lymph nodes, lymph drainage channels, and blood vessels are also removed.
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slide 4 of 5, Bowel reattached,
The remaining ends of the bowel are reattached, either end-to-end, side-to-side, or side-to-end.
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slide 5 of 5, Surgery scars,
If you have laparoscopic surgery, you will have 3 to 6 small scars. An example is in the picture on the left. Your surgeon may make 1 or 2 of the small openings a little bigger to allow space to complete the procedure. If so, those scars will be a little longer than the others. If you have an open resection, you will have one long scar. An example is in the picture on the right.
What To Expect
Bowel resection requires general anesthesia
Sometimes the two parts of the colon or rectum can't be reattached, so the surgeon performs a colostomy
When the two-stage operation
The recovery time after a one-stage operation or after the final operation of a two-stage surgery is usually 6 to 8 weeks.
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Why It Is Done
In early-stage cancer, surgery is done to remove as much cancer as possible to give the greatest chance of a cure.
In cases of advanced colorectal cancer that has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body, bowel resection is often done to remove tumours that are blocking the intestine or causing bleeding.
How Well It Works
Bowel resection is the most successful treatment for invasive colorectal cancer.footnote 1
Up to 12 out of 100 people who have surgery for diverticulitis develop diverticulitis again.footnote 2
Some people who have two-stage surgeries may not have the second part of the surgery to reattach the intestine and repair the colostomy. This is often because the intestine does not heal well enough to be rejoined.footnote 3
Surgery is not a cure for Crohn's disease. When surgery for Crohn's is needed, as little of the intestine as possible is removed to keep the intestines working normally. The disease tends to return to other areas of the intestines after surgery. In children, surgery may improve well-being and quality of life and restore normal growth and sexual development.
Risks
All surgeries have some risks of infection, severe bleeding, or complications from general anesthesia.
Possible problems after a bowel resection include:
Scar tissue (adhesions A leak between the joined sections of the colon. Injury to the bladder, ureters, or blood vessels. References
Citations ACP Medicine , section 12, chap. 5. Hamilton, ON: BC Decker.Therapy of Digestive Disorders , 2nd ed., pp. 855–859. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier. ACP Medicine , section 4, chap. 12. Hamilton, ON: BC Decker. Credits
Current as of: October 19, 2023
Current as of: October 19, 2023
Eng C (2011). Colorectal cancer. In EG Nabel, ed., ACP Medicine , section 12, chap. 5. Hamilton, ON: BC Decker.
Davis BR, Matthews JB (2006). Diverticular disease of the colon. In M Wolfe et al., eds., Therapy of Digestive Disorders , 2nd ed., pp. 855–859. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.
Harford WV (2010). Diverticulosis, diverticulitis, and appendicitis. In EG Nabel, ed., ACP Medicine , section 4, chap. 12. Hamilton, ON: BC Decker.
