Colorectal Surgery: Overview, Features and Procedures


Definition and Overview
Colorectal surgery is a term that refers to various surgical procedures performed on the colon, anus, and rectum. Medical professionals performing such procedures are known as proctologists or colorectal surgeons.

When is Colorectal surgery required?
The Colorectal surgeons treat various disorders such as anal fissures (abnormal tears or cracks in the patient’s anus), birth defects in the anus or colon, swelling and inflammation of veins in the rectum (also known as hemorrhoids), anorectal fistulas (passageways that connect different parts of the anorectal area to the surface of the skin), fecal incontinence, colon, and rectal cancers, anal or rectal prolapse, diverticular disease, diverticulitis, imperforate anus and other birth defects, Crohn’s disease, and other severe colic disorders, and anal cancer.

Where are Colorectal procedures applied?
There are various techniques used in performing Colorectal surgery. These are:-

Colectomy- It is the surgical resectioning of the colon or the large intestine. This procedure can also involve the removal of the entire large intestine and the rectum.

Strictureplasty- It is another colorectal surgical procedure, which removes scar tissues that have grown on the patient’s intestinal walls, usually as a result of bowel inflammation (in severe colic disorders such as Crohn’s disease).

Other surgical procedures include lateral internal sphincterotomy, transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM), bowel diversion surgery, rubber band ligation, abdominoperineal resection, haemorrhoidectomy, angioplasty, polypectomy and colostomy.

Modern surgical techniques for colorectal issues include laparoscopic surgery, which is minimally invasive and requires less downtime for the patient. Robotic surgery is also fast becoming an ideal option for many patients; it is more precise and can access previously difficult to reach areas such as in the case of rectal cancers.

Colorectal surgery can also involve various diagnostic procedures such as colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, defecating proctography, and proctoscopy.


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