Colectomy at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka

Colectomy is a surgical procedure of removing all or some parts of your affected colon. The colon is a part of our large intestine and is a long tubelike organ found at the end of the digestive tract. A colectomy may be required to cure and prevent illnesses and problems that affect your colon.

There are various types of colectomy procedures performed, including-

• Total Colectomy: The entire colon is removed during a total colectomy.
• Partial Colectomy: A partial colectomy, also known as a subtotal colectomy, entails removing a portion of the colon.
• Hemicolectomy: The right or left side of the colon is removed during hemicolectomy.
• Proctocolectomy: The colon and rectum are both removed during a proctocolectomy.

Colectomy surgery normally involves subsequent treatments to rejoin the remaining pieces of your digestive system and allow waste to escape your body.

What happens before Colectomy?

Your doctor may want you to perform the following in the days before your colon surgery:

• You must stop using specific drugs. Your doctor could ask you to cease taking a particular medication before surgery because it raises the possibility of complications during the surgical procedure. You’ll receive detailed instructions from your doctor to cease eating and drinking for up to a day.
• You need to take a medicinal solution to help you remove your bowels. Your doctor may prescribe a laxative solution that you mix with water at home. Following the instructions, you will be consuming the solution over some time. Additionally, your doctor might advise enemas.
• Your doctor may occasionally advise antibiotics to control the germs that are normally present in your colon and to help ward off your infection.

Colectomy preparation is not always possible. For instance, there might not be enough time to prepare if you require an emergency colectomy because of a bowel obstruction or colon perforation.

How is Colectomy performed at Apollo Hospitals?

The healthcare team will take you to a preparation room on the day of surgery. Your blood pressure and breathing will be monitored. You may receive antibiotic medication through a vein in your arms. You will then be taken to an operating room and administered a general anaesthesia medication which will put you in a sleep-like condition, and you will not be able to feel any pain or discomfort during your operation.

Our surgical team will subsequently perform your Colectomy. There are two ways we perform colon surgery (Colectomy).

Open Colectomy

A large abdominal incision is required to access your colon during open surgery. Your colon is cut out entirely or partially after your surgeon uses surgical tools to separate it from the surrounding tissue.

Laparoscopic Colectomy

The minimally invasive colectomy procedure, also known as laparoscopic Colectomy, requires 2-4 tiny abdominal incisions. A tiny video camera and specialised surgical tools are inserted via these incisions by your surgeon to perform the surgical removal of the colon.

The medical team will determine the kind of surgery you receive based on your current medical condition. The healing period and amount of pain following a laparoscopic colectomy are comparatively less. Moreover, there are chances that your surgery can start as a laparoscopic colectomy but need to be converted to an open colectomy due to external factors.

Your digestive system will be reconnected so that your body can eliminate waste after the colon has been fixed or removed. To create an anastomosis, the surgeon may sew the remaining pieces together or join your colon to your small intestine.

What happens after the surgery?

You will recover there for a few days before being discharged from the hospital. Depending on the type of surgery you underwent and how well you are doing, it might be two days or even a week. During this period, the trained medical staff will –

• Feed you on a soft or liquid diet.
• Await the return of your functional bowels.
• Wean you off of your painkillers gradually.
• Monitor you for any indications of procedural problems.

They will also advise you on how to take care of the wounds and give some diet advice. After surgery, you’ll probably visit a nutritionist or nutritional counsellor who will provide you with more detailed guidance. Following surgery, they could advise adhering to a low-fibre diet for up to one month. Eating low-fibre meals makes the process easier when your colon is trying to repair. They could advise you to increase your water intake.

What are the risks associated with Colectomy?

There is a chance of severe consequences after a colectomy. Your overall health, the type of colon problem, and the technique your surgeon employs during the procedure all influence your risks. Colectomy complications might consist of the following:

• Bleeding: Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary blood clots in the legs(pulmonary embolism)
• Infection: Injury to the bladder and small intestines, two organs close to your colon.
• Tear in Sutures: Sutures connecting the remaining components of your digestive system have tears.

It might take up to six weeks to recover at home. After surgery, most patients resume most of their regular activities within two weeks.

Although a colectomy requires extensive surgery, it is secure and effective. Thanks to recent medical advancements, you will be able to return to your regular habits sooner than you think. The world-class surgeons, trained medical staff, cutting-edge technology, and excellent medical facilities at Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka, all contribute to our high success rates of colectomy surgeries.

At Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka, we are always available if you have any concerns about Colectomy. We will address any queries or worries about how the surgery can change your life.