Colectomy

Before the surgery starts, you will get medicines (through a thin tube that goes into a vein, called an “IV”) to make you sleep. You will not be awake for the surgery.

There are 2 main ways your doctor can do a colectomy:

• Open surgery – During open surgery, your doctor will make a cut in your belly. They will remove some or all of your colon. How much your doctor removes depends on the reason for your surgery and how severe your condition is.
• Laparoscopic surgery – During laparoscopic surgery, your doctor will make a few small cuts in your belly. Then they will insert long, thin tools through the cuts and into your belly. One of the tools has a camera (called a “laparoscope”) on the end, which sends pictures to a TV screen. Your doctor can look at the screen to know where to cut and what to remove. Then they use the long tools to do the surgery through the small cuts.

After your doctor removes your colon, they will make sure there is a way for bowel movements to exit your body. To do this, your doctor will either:

• Reconnect your intestine – If your doctor can reconnect your intestine, you should be able to have bowel movements normally.
• Do a procedure called a “colostomy” or “ileostomy” – For either of these procedures, your doctor will make a small hole in your belly. Then they will connect your intestine to this opening. If your doctor connects your large intestine to the hole, it’s called a “colostomy.” If your doctor connects your small intestine to the hole, it’s called an “ileostomy.” Your bowel movements will come out through the hole into a bag that is attached to your skin.