What is total colectomy surgery?
Colectomy is a surgical procedure to remove all (total colectomy) or part of the large intestine. The colon, or large intestine, is a large tube-like organ at the end of the digestive tract. A surgeon may perform a colectomy to treat the following problems:
- Colon cancer
- Digestive disorders
- Colon obstruction
- Colon injury
Laparoscopic colectomy
Laparoscopic colectomy, or minimally invasive colectomy, involves making several small incisions in the abdomen. The surgeon inserts a small camera through one incision and surgical instruments through the others. While using the instruments to free the colon from the surrounding tissues, the surgeon watches the images on a monitor. The large intestine is then brought out of the abdomen through one of the small incisions. This type of colectomy makes it possible to carry out the surgery outside the body. Once the procedure is done, the surgeon returns the colon to the abdomen through the incision.
Laparoscopic colectomy reduces pain and the recovery period after surgery, but not everyone is a suitable candidate for this type of colectomy. In some cases the operation begins as a laparoscopic colectomy, but circumstances lead the surgeon to continue it as an open colectomy. Once the colon has been repaired or removed, the surgeon reconnects the organs of the digestive tract so that waste can be eliminated.
Laparoscopic total colectomy was performed for the first time in Kerman at Nimeh Shaaban Hospital, Kerman, by Dr. Mohammad Rezazadeh. Below you can watch the surgeon’s explanations as well as an interview with the patient: