If your physician has recommended you for colon surgery in the Lake Mary and Orange City, FL area, North Orlando Surgical Group can help you learn everything you need to know. A laparoscopic-assisted colon resection is a surgical procedure in which a part of your intestine is removed. It may be performed due to:
- Colon mass: These masses can either be malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous).
- Diverticular disease: Diverticulosis is an out-pouching in the colon called diverticula. On a case-by-case basis this could turn into diverticulitis which is an infection in the intestine. Not all cases of diverticulitis require a colon resection. However, the general surgeons in our practice will usually recommend surgery if you’ve been hospitalized for this problem at least two times. Should perforation occur, emergency surgery may be required
- Bowel obstruction: A gastrointestinal condition in which stool is prevented from passing normally through the intestine.
- Crohn’s disease: This is an inflammatory bowel disease. As the name implies, inflammatory bowel diseases cause inflammation of the intestinal tract. The intestinal tract includes your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (colon), rectum, and anus. The inflammation and irritation of Crohn’s disease can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract but is most common in the lower portion of the small intestine.
- Chronic constipation: This is a common condition that is characterized by difficult, infrequent, or perceived incomplete bowel movements. Symptoms of constipation include having less than 3 bowel movements per week, straining, hard stools, incomplete evacuation, and inability to pass stool. Chronic Constipation can cause the intestine to stretch (redundant colon) making it more difficult to pass stool.
In most instances we perform colon surgeries in the laparoscopic fashion, but sometimes there are cases that make that impossible. If the patient presents to the emergency room with a perforated colon, it may require an open operation. With a laparoscopic surgery you would undergo a preoperative bowel preparation and imaging, whether it be a colonoscopy, barium enema, or a CT scan.
About the Surgical Process
This laparoscopic procedure is one that removes the diseased section of your colon with the help of a camera. During the procedure you’re given a general anesthetic. In most of these laparoscopic cases, surgeons operate through four to five small openings about a quarter-inch in size. Once the diseased part of your colon is identified your surgeon will re-sect that piece and hook the two healthy ends of colon back together again.
You’ll wake up in the post-operative care unit with Band-Aids over your incisions. On average you can expect to stay in the hospital for three to five days because our general surgeons want to make sure your bowels are moving well before you’re discharged from the hospital.
Benefits of Laparoscopic Colon Surgery
Some advantages with a laparoscopic-assisted colon resection would be less postoperative pain, it may shorten your hospital stay, and it may result in a faster return to a solid-food diet and help with a quicker return to normal activity.
Potential Symptoms of Colon Resection
- Cramping, nausea, or diarrhea.
- Fever, vomiting, or weakness.
- Abdominal, side, or back pain.
- Weight loss.
- Bleeding from the rectum.
Reach Out to Us to Take the First Step Towards Better Colon Health!
Our doctors and surgeons at North Orlando Surgical Group make every possible effort to perform colon surgery laparoscopically. The sheer number of cases we have performed for patients in the Lake Mary and Orange City, FL area speaks to our extensive expertise with general surgery. Call our office for an appointment today at one of our two convenient locations in Lake Mary & Orange City, FL.