Colorectal Surgery

The colorectal surgeons at Backus Hospital offer the full range of options for patients suffering with colorectal cancer or benign conditions such as diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and rectal prolapse.

A variety of procedures on the colon and rectal area of the large intestine can be done as open surgery, laparoscopically and with our da Vinci® surgical robot.

Surgery for Colon Cancer

Procedures for patients with colorectal cancer include:

• Local excision or polypectomy – If the cancer is confined to a very small area, such as a single polyp, the surgeon will remove it during a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. This does not require an incision in your abdomen.
• Colectomy/colon resection to remove the cancerous sections of the colon and reconnecting the healthy parts. If doctors cannot reconnect the healthy parts, a colostomy may be performed to allow waste to pass from your body into a colostomy bag.
• Low anterior resection, or surgery on the upper rectum, is often needed to remove the cancer and reconnect the sigmoid colon, which is closest to the rectum, with the remaining healthy part of the rectum.

Procedures for patients with benign colorectal conditions include those done laparoscopically or with the surgical da Vinci robot. They include:

• Colectomy/colon resection to remove the diseased part of your colon/large intestine and connect the healthy bowel that remains
• Right or left colectomy, which is surgery on one side of your colon
• Sigmoid colectomy, or surgery on the lower left part of the colon before the rectum
• Total colectomy to remove the entire colon
• Rectopexy, or surgery to restore the rectum to its normal position

Get the message. Schedule a colonoscopy.

In Connecticut, colorectal cancer is the third-most common cancer diagnosed in women and the fourth-most common cancer diagnosed in men, according to the state Health Department.

A colonoscopy is one of the few screening tests that can actually prevent colon cancer. By finding and taking colon polyps out before they become cancer, doctors can prevent their later development into cancer. When caught early, colorectal cancer has a 90 percent survival rate.

Why get a colonoscopy?

The rate of colorectal cancer diagnoses has dropped each year since the mid-1980s because more people are getting screened and more people are adjusting their lifestyle to reduce risk factors.

Key factors that can increase the risk of colorectal cancer include:

• Age: Current guidelines recommend screening begin at age 45 for people at average risk
• Personal history of colon cancer, polyps or inflammatory bowel disease
• Family history of colon cancer or polyps.
• Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a hereditary condition that creates hundreds of polyps in the colon and rectum.
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Heavy alcohol use

Why wait?

Make an appointment for your colonoscopy today!