Colectomy, the surgical removal of the colon, is an increasingly common procedure performed to treat a variety of intestinal conditions. With the advancement of medicine, this surgery has developed from the traditional open abdominal method to the current minimally invasive surgical method, and many diseases make colon resection a necessary option. This article will explore the characteristics of these diseases and the reasons behind them to help readers understand why colectomy may be the only effective treatment in some cases.
Colectomy surgery involves removing varying amounts of the colon, which is the longest part of the large intestine. This surgery may be preventive, curative, or symptomatic. Depending on the situation, surgery may involve partial, total or other forms of resection, possibly with a colostomy.
The main indications for colectomy include:
Colon cancer, adenomatous polyps that cannot be removed by colonoscopy, diverticular disease of the large intestine, intestinal perforation, bleeding, inflammatory diseases of the intestine, intestinal infarction or ischemia, and intestinal torsion, etc.
The above conditions are usually accompanied by serious risks of complications, so surgery becomes the preferred solution to the problem. Especially for patients with colon cancer, early surgical resection can significantly improve the survival rate.
Before surgery, patients will undergo several tests to ensure the safety of the procedure, including blood tests and imaging studies. For patients with tumors, preoperative colonoscopy can mark the lesions and help surgeons perform precise resection.
Colectomy surgery can be divided into open surgery and minimally invasive surgery. In recent years, the development of minimally invasive surgical techniques has enabled more and more patients to undergo surgery with less trauma, thereby shortening recovery time and reducing pain.
As the saying goes, “surgery has risks,” and colon resection is no exception. Possible complications of surgery include:
Bleeding, infection, damage to surrounding structures, incomplete intestinal anastomosis and other serious consequences.
Especially during intestinal anastomosis, damage to the anastomosis may lead to peritonitis and sepsis, etc. ", "These conditions may increase the patient's mortality rate and the chance of cancer recurrence.
For patients, undergoing colon resection surgery is not only a physical challenge, but also comes with a psychological burden. For example, colostomy poses social and psychological challenges for patients. Therefore, adequate medical consultation and psychological preparation are essential before deciding to undergo surgery.
Colectomy plays an integral role in modern medicine and is often the key to survival for patients facing serious illnesses such as colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. However, for every patient considering surgery, in addition to understanding the necessity of the surgery, they also need to consider the physical and mental effects of the surgery. In this context, before making a choice, each patient might as well think about a question: when facing the threat of disease, how to balance the relationship between treatment options and quality of life?