What Does The Colon Cancer Operation Entail?
Colon Cancer affects thousands of people each year. It is life threatening, therefore surgery is the best option usually recommended by the doctor. Different types of colon cancer operations have different benefits. It is important that you understand the benefits and procedures before deciding to go in for an operation. The best chance of cure for colon cancer is through surgery. It even reduces the risk of re occurrence of cancerous growth. Before the surgery begins, the colon is cleansed completely in order to reduce any risk of infection. The cleansing is done using strong laxatives and enemas or by drinking one gallon of a cleansing fluid the night before the surgery. The surgery is always done under general anesthesia while the patient is asleep. The abdomen area is accessed by making a tiny incision in the abdomen. With new medicinal technologies like laparoscopy, the incision is hardly noticeable once it heals. After the abdomen is entered, the infected part of the colon is removed by surgery and the remaining parts of the colon are connected, fused or anastomoses together. If the cancer occurs in the lower rectum or anus, the doctor might have to make another incision in the rectum or near it. Since the cancer occurs towards the end of the rectum, there may be no colon left after the surgery to attach the remaining colon to. If such an incident occurs, then the remaining colon is rerouted to outside the abdomen. This is known as colostomy. This is usually done when the surgeon thinks that the anastomosis will not be successful or if the colon is not clean enough. After colostomy, bowel control is no more. A bag needs to be placed outside the opening of the colon to collect the bowel. After the colon is removed, the lymph nodes are analyzed to make sure that the cancer has not spread beyond the colon area. The rest of the organs are also examined very carefully. If there are any strange lumps found, no chances are taken and they are surgically removed. Colon Cancer Operations are usually followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy in order to kill any remaining cancerous growths. It also reduces the chances of the cancer cells coming back. After operation, it is important to go for follow up treatments to ensure that you are healthy and that no new cancerous cells or polyps have developed. It is important that you consult your doctor before deciding to go in for any surgery. Every surgery has its risks and complications and you must be well aware of it and prepared for it before deciding to go in for a colon cancer operation. Different types of surgeries are recommended for different stages of cancer and also depending on how severe the cancer is. |
