Colorectal Resection

An operation to remove a section of the large intestine

Parts of the Body Involved

Large intestine, also called the colon

Reasons for Procedure

Colorectal resection is most often performed due to colon cancer.

Other conditions that may warrant this procedure are:
  • Intestinal obstruction causing perforation or gangrene
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • Trauma to the intestine
  • Intestinal polyps, especially the pre-cancerous type seen with familial polyposis syndrome
  • Perforated diverticulum
  • Ischemic bowel (an area of intestine to which the blood supply has been cut off, resulting in tissue death)

Risk Factors for Complications during the Procedure

  • Obesity
  • Previous abdominal surgery, with scar tissue
  • Diabetes
  • Infection
  • Pre-existing heart and/or lung problems
  • Debilitation, malnutrition
  • Peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum, which is the lining of the abdomen)
  • Bowel perforation and contamination of the abdomen with intestinal contents

What to Expect

Prior to Procedure

Your doctor will likely do the following:
  • Physical exam
  • Blood tests
  • Ultrasound exam of the abdomen

Outcome

The outcome varies depending on why you had the colorectal resection. If you have colon cancer, a good outcome includes a pathology report showing that the entire cancerous area has been removed, with clean margins on either side. If you have a pre-cancerous condition (such as certain types of polyps, familial polyposis, ulcerative colitis), then you may have prevented the eventual development of cancer. If you had surgery due to other conditions, a successful operation will alleviate or improve your symptoms.

If youve had a colostomy created, your daily waste (feces) will collect in a pouch attached to your ostomy site. Or, if you have the type of colostomy that you can drain by catheter at set intervals, you may just wear a small patch, cap, or bandage over the ostomy site. Considerations for living with a colostomy include:
  • Your stool is likely to be looser (more liquid) than it was before your colostomy
  • Youll need to practice meticulous skin care of the area around the stoma in order to prevent inflammation and infection
  • You may wish to join a support group or seek counseling to help you adjust to your colostomy

Call Your Doctor If Any of the Following Occurs

  • Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, warmth, drainage, or bulging at the incision site
  • Nausea and/or vomiting that you cant control with the medications you were given after surgery, or which persist for more than two days after discharge from the hospital
  • Signs of infection, including fever and chills
  • Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
  • Pain and/or swelling in your feet, calves, or legs
  • Pain, burning, urgency, frequency of urination, or persistent bleeding in the urine
  • Blood in your stool, or black, tarry stools
If you have a colostomy created:
  • Nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea
  • Severe abdominal pain
  • Feeling weak or dizzy
  • Not urinating the usual quantity
  • Bleeding from the stoma
  • Stoma is not functioning (you arent collecting any stool in the pouch)
  • The skin around the stoma appears irritated, moist, red, swollen, or develops sores