Colon resection is a type of surgery performed on the colon when it is damaged because of various reasons.
A person may be required to undergo the surgery when he has been diagnosed with colon cancer, diverticular disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, inflammatory bowel diseases, intestinal polyps, Crohn's disease, and large bowel obstruction.
These diseases may be caused by different factors like the diet, lifestyle, abnormalities in the genetics, etc.
This surgery is needed when the other treatments like change in lifestyle and diet do no good to the colon.
Most of the time surgery is a last option and is done to save the person's life and to prevent the spread of the disease and infection.
There are two types of resection surgery: open surgery and laparoscopic surgery.
These surgeries either remove part of the colon or the whole of the colon from the body.
Both surgeries require preparation.
The colon will have to be cleaned and therefore the patient might have to go on an only liquid diet.
Open surgery is the standard the surgery is over the patient has to stay in the hospital for many days for observation.
procedure for colon resection.
In this surgery, a large incision is made in the abdominal wall.
The surgeon seals both sides of the colon and then removes the affected part.
The surgeon then staples the two ends of the healthy colon using a surgical stapler.
The ends may be attached by hand stitching also.
This surgery takes about 3 hours and even after Laparoscopic surgery is the new colon resection surgery and it is more preferred because this surgery takes lesser time and looks less complicated than open surgery.
In this procedure, the surgeon makes about four or five small incisions in the abdominal wall.
Through these incisions, a camera, light and instruments are inserted into the abdomen.
The surgeon can see the condition of the colon from the monitor in front of the operating table.
The surgeon removes the affected section of the colon and then attaches the good and healthy ends.
The surgery takes 2 to 3 hours and the patient's stay in the hospital is also less.
Colon resection surgeries are very effective and bring forth good results many times but they also have complications.
The risks involved include infection, injury to surrounding organs, leakage from the joint parts, rectal bleeding, sudden fever, pain and drainage, bleeding and swelling at the incision site.