Surgery Overview
Resection is another name for any operation that removes tissue or
part of an organ. Bowel resection, also called partial colectomy, for
removes the tumor and part of the
colon or rectum on either side.
The goal of bowel resection is to take out the part of the colon or
rectum where the cancer is. Nearby
are taken out and tested for cancer. Then
healthy parts of the colon or rectum are sewn back together. Bowel resection is
done either by opening the abdomen (open resection), or by
View the
to see what happens during this surgery.
What To Expect After Surgery
Bowel resection requires
. You may stay in the hospital for 4
to 7 days or as long as 2 weeks after surgery.
Sometimes the two parts of the colon or rectum cannot be
reattached, so the surgeon performs a
. This creates an opening, called a stoma, on
the outside of the body for the stool, or feces, to pass through into a
colostomy bag. Usually the colostomy is temporary, until the colon or rectum
heals. If the lower part of the rectum has been removed, the colostomy is
permanent. Most people who have colon cancer don't need a colostomy.
Treatment after bowel resection may include radiation therapy and
chemotherapy, in case there are any cancer cells remaining.
uses X-rays to kill cancer cells.
uses drugs—given either as pills or
through a needle—to kill them.
Follow-up care is important because colorectal cancer can come back
after surgery, especially if it was not discovered when it is in an early
stage.
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 tumors that are blocking the intestine or causing bleeding.
How Well It Works
When colorectal cancer is caught before it has grown into the
tissue and muscle layers of the colon or rectum, surgery (bowel resection) cures the
disease in about half of the people.1 When the cancer has spread to those tissues, surgery
is less likely to result in a cure.
Bowel resection is the most successful treatment for colorectal
cancer. Even if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, bowel
resection frequently relieves symptoms caused by blockage.2