Colorectal Surgeon

Colorectal Surgeon Phoenix specializes in diagnosing and treating problems involving the large intestine (rectum). They also treat conditions like rectal prolapse, a condition where part of your rectum slips through your anus.

A bowel obstruction can cause severe pain and life-threatening complications if not treated. Surgeons can repair these blockages using a variety of surgical techniques.

Colorectal surgeons specialize in diagnosing and treating disorders involving the large intestine (colon) and anal canal. They are referred to by gastroenterologists or primary care doctors when patients need surgical intervention for conditions like severe constipation, hemorrhoids, anal fistulas and bowel cancer. They are highly skilled in performing minimally invasive surgeries, such as laparoscopic colon and rectal surgery and robotic colon surgery, which eliminate the need for extensive abdominal incisions.

Your doctor will review your health history and symptoms during your initial consultation. He or she will also order diagnostic tests to get a more thorough picture of your condition. These may include bloodwork, CT or MRI scans of your abdomen and pelvic area, and urine or stool samples for tests to check for cancer or pre-cancerous growths (polyps).

Polyps are mushroom-like growths in the lining of the colon and rectum that can become cancerous over time. They often develop into larger tumors, known as malignant colon polyps, causing the surrounding tissue to grow and spread abnormally. The colorectal surgeon will also evaluate for signs of colon cancer, such as a change in your bowel habits, rectal bleeding and abdominal pain.

Once a diagnosis has been made, your colorectal surgeon will discuss your treatment options with you. These may involve lifestyle changes, medication or, in more serious cases, surgical intervention. During the consultation, your doctor will explain each option in detail and answer any questions you may have.

Gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons have different education, training and philosophies when it comes to treating gastrointestinal diseases. Gastroenterologists do not perform surgeries and use a variety of non-surgical treatments to manage their patients’ gastrointestinal health. They are highly skilled in using endoscopic procedures and interpreting the results of medical imaging to diagnose gastrointestinal issues, but will refer their patients to a colorectal surgeon when surgical intervention is needed.

Colorectal surgeons are trained in the medical and surgical management of diseases involving the colon, rectum, anal canal and perianal region. They are experts in the reconstruction of the colon, rectum and anus and are able to diagnose and treat various conditions, including cancers of the colon and rectum, anal fistulas and abscesses in the sigmoid colon, rectum and anal canal.

Treatment

The colon, rectum and anus make up the lower digestive tract. Colorectal surgeons specialize in the surgical care of conditions involving these organs, including inflammatory bowel disease, hemorrhoids and colon and rectal cancer. They can perform both traditional and minimally invasive surgery.

Colon and rectal surgery is a major undertaking, and any surgical procedure carries risks. Your surgeon will discuss these risks with you before the surgery. Depending on the procedure, you may need to stay in the hospital for two to four days.

Your surgeon can treat your gastrointestinal problems with medicines or minimally invasive procedures like laparoscopic colon and rectal surgery. These procedures can be used to remove small benign polyps, treat Crohn’s disease or relieve symptoms of hemorrhoids. Your doctor may also recommend a colonoscopy, which uses a thin tube with a camera to examine the inside of your large intestine.

If you have a serious problem, such as bowel obstruction or volvulus (twisting of the colon), your colorectal surgeon may need to remove part of the colon. This is called a colon resection. The surgeon can also help you with a variety of other issues, such as severe constipation, large benign polyps and anal abscesses.

After the surgery, you might need to use a special bag to collect your waste. This bag is attached to an opening in your abdomen, which is called a stoma or ostomy. If your surgeon removed the whole colon, this is known as a colostomy; if they only removed the small intestine, it’s known as an ileostomy.

At NYP/Columbia, our specialists can often reverse ostomies, which is important to preserve continence and quality of life. This can include pouch revision, the creation of a redo pouch or the conversion of a J-pouch into a continent ileostomy (K-pouch).

Our multidisciplinary team of colorectal surgeons is dedicated to providing high-quality treatment for conditions of the colon and rectum. They work closely with medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and radiologists to develop a personalized treatment plan for each patient. In addition, our colorectal surgeons are leaders in the field of endoluminal surgery. They are developing techniques that enable them to remove polyps or lesions from the colon and rectum without making abdominal incisions.

Preparation

The pre-surgery phase of colorectal surgery can be a comprehensive and enlightening process, filled with informative sessions with multiple medical specialists. These meetings can provide a deeper understanding of your health and wellness status and help to identify any potential complications that could interfere with the surgical procedure.

During the prep phase, you will be asked to take a series of tests to evaluate your blood type and identify any conditions that might increase the risk of complications during or after surgery. A colorectal surgeon will also usually conduct a flexible sigmoidoscopy, which is an exam of the lower colon and rectum (the last part of your large intestine). This can help detect polyps, or abnormal growths on the inner lining of the colon or rectum that can be cancerous or pre-cancerous.

Colorectal surgeons perform a wide range of surgical procedures to treat the colon, rectum and anus, including many minimally invasive techniques. Some examples include:

Colon cancer and rectal cancer surgery: Whether the tumor is benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancer), a skilled colorectal surgeon can remove the cancerous tissue and reconstruct the affected area of the colon and anus with healthy tissue.

Some types of colorectal cancer surgery require the removal of nearby lymph nodes to ensure the completeness of the removal and to reduce the risk of recurrence. Other types of colorectal cancer treatment involve the use of radiation and chemotherapy to prevent or lessen the size of the tumor.

A skilled colorectal surgeon can also use laparoscopic and robotic surgery to remove the colon or rectum when necessary, as well as other surgical methods to manage conditions that affect these organs, such as a hernia repair.

Depending on the procedure, you will likely need to stop taking any medicines that thin your blood before your operation, except for baby aspirin. Other precautions may include avoiding caffeine and certain foods such as red meat and processed foods, and stocking up on recovery supplies, such as comfortable clothing and food that can be prepared without using a stove or microwave. Developing a comprehensive and streamlined preparation plan is vital to ensuring your comfort and safety during the entire surgical process, from start to finish.

Recovery

Colorectal surgery treats a number of conditions, including cancers, polyps, diverticulitis and anorectal disorders (including fistula). These diseases are often painful and interfere with daily life. The goal of the surgeon is to relieve symptoms while preserving normal colon function. Surgical interventions may be necessary, but medical treatment and lifestyle changes are also options.

Before surgery, your doctor will review your symptoms and previous test results. Then, he or she will determine whether you have a disease that can be treated without surgery and/or recommend surgery to remove the diseased tissue while preserving normal colon function.

During a colonoscopy, the surgeon uses a soft, bendable tube called a colonoscope to view the inside of the large intestine and take tissue samples. A barium enema is another diagnostic test that involves passing a white “milk-shake fluid” through the anus and pushing it throughout the large bowel to create an image of its walls on an X-ray. In some cases, a surgeon will use both of these tests to see the entire large intestine.

If you need surgery, the colorectal surgeon will explain the procedure in detail and answer any questions you have. Most colorectal surgeries are done under general anesthesia. You’ll spend a few hours in the operating room and then recover on a surgical floor or in the hospital’s recovery room until you’re ready to go home.

The surgery can cause a number of side effects, such as fatigue, bloating and changes in the frequency and consistency of your bowel movements. However, these symptoms should improve with time. You should try to walk as much as possible after the operation to help improve blood flow and prevent blood clots.

After the surgery, your doctor will leave a urinary catheter in place for a few days to collect urine, and you’ll have an intravenous (IV) line for fluids and pain medications. You won’t be able to eat solid food at first, but clear liquids will gradually be introduced as the colon heals. Your doctors at the Colorectal Surgical Associates will instruct you when to start eating solid foods again.