Colorectal Surgeon is a medical professional that specializes in conditions that affect your lower digestive tract. Your physician might refer you to a colorectal surgeon if other treatments, including lifestyle changes, do not provide relief from your symptoms.

Surgery is not always desired, but it may be necessary to improve your quality of life. Fortunately, minimally invasive surgery techniques are available to reduce your recovery time.

Colorectal surgeons treat conditions that affect your lower digestive tract and your pelvic floor, including the anus, rectum and colon. They often work with gastroenterologists and primary care doctors to diagnose and treat these conditions.

People who are referred to a colorectal surgeon may have symptoms ranging from mildly irritating to life-threatening. If your symptom is minor, it is likely that your doctor will try lifestyle changes or medication before considering surgical treatment. For example, your doctor may prescribe medications that ease symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, a condition that can cause flare-ups of intense intestinal pain.

Your doctor will use tests such as a colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy to check for problems in your lower digestive tract. During these procedures, your doctor inserts a long, thin lighted tube (laparoscope) into your belly to see the area.

You might also be referred to a colorectal specialist to have a rectal polyp removed or a sigmoidoscopy to screen for colon cancer. A polyp is a growth in your colon that can be precancerous or cancerous. A rectal exam can find these and other polyps, and if they are large or growing fast, your doctor will recommend surgery to remove them. If your doctor discovers a tumor in the colon or rectum, you may need chemotherapy or radiation along with surgery to treat it.

Colon and rectal cancers are very common, and they are usually curable when caught early. The most important step in preventing colon and rectal cancer is to have regular screenings with a colonoscopy and stool sample test. Thirty minutes of physical activity five days a week can also reduce your risk of colorectal cancer.

Some of the other diseases a colorectal surgeon treats are anal fistulas and hemorrhoids. A fistula is an abnormal connection that looks like a tunnel between two body structures. A colorectal surgeon can fix these by performing surgical opening of an anal fistula (fistulotomy) or less invasive techniques such as anal fistula plugs.

Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the anal canal or rectum that can cause pain, itching and bleeding. Some can be treated at home, but others require surgery to stop the bleeding and prevent complications such as skin infections. Pilonidal sinuses, or pilonidal cysts, are tracts that run from the cleft of your buttocks to an abscess under the skin, which can be filled with hair, dead skin and pus. In some cases, a colorectal surgeon can drain these cysts to provide short-term relief.

Diagnosis

Some conditions in your lower digestive tract may only need medical treatment, rather than surgery. But if your symptoms persist, you may need to see a colorectal surgeon. During an appointment, it’s important to share all your symptoms with the surgeon. This can help them diagnose your condition and determine what type of treatment is necessary.

While your gastroenterologist and colon doctor can treat some conditions of the lower GI tract, only a colorectal surgeon is trained to surgically address conditions in your large intestine (colon) and rectum. These conditions include hemorrhoids, fissures, polyps and cancer. You may be referred to a colorectal surgeon by your primary care physician, gastroenterologist or another specialist in your health care team.

A colorectal surgeon can use different methods to examine the colon and rectum for signs of disease or to find out what’s causing your symptoms. They can do a colonoscopy, which involves inserting a long, flexible lighted tube with a camera into your colon and rectum. They can also perform a flexible sigmoidoscopy, which is less invasive than a colonoscopy.

After examining your symptoms, the surgeon may decide to do imaging tests, blood work or other testing. These can include X-rays, CT scans or an ultrasound of your rectal area. They can also perform endoscopies, in which they put a thin lighted tube with a camera into your anus and anal canal. They can take tissue samples or remove polyps during this test.

If they suspect that you have cancer, they may recommend a biopsy of the tumor or an entire colon segment to check for the presence of cancer cells. If the test results show that you have colon cancer, they can perform a partial colectomy or colostomy to remove the affected section of your colon and connect it to healthy parts of the rectum. They might also perform other procedures to ease your symptoms, such as removing anal blockages or draining excess fluid from your colon.

A colorectal surgeon might also choose to remove the rectum, which is called a total colectomy or proctocolectomy. This can be done if you have certain diseases, such as familial polyposis or ulcerative colitis. They can create a new rectum by folding the end of your small bowel back on itself and joining it to the rectum.

Treatment

The lower digestive tract contains the colon, rectum and anus, and problems here can have a big impact on your quality of life. If there is an obstruction, a tumor or other problem limiting the flow of food and waste through your lower gut, you may need surgery to correct the issue. That’s where a colorectal surgeon comes in. These doctors are specially trained to address conditions that affect the colon and rectum. They often perform minimally invasive surgery to treat these conditions and can use a range of techniques, from endoscopy to open surgery.

During surgery, you are put under general anesthesia and your stomach is closed with several small incisions. The doctor uses these openings to insert a camera and tools that can remove diseased sections of your colon or excise a tumor. Alternatively, your colon can be rerouted with a colostomy or ileostomy to divert waste into an external bag. These operations also require general anesthesia and may require a lengthy hospital stay.

Because colorectal surgeons are specialists in the gastrointestinal tract, they have deep understanding of how the system functions as a whole. This allows them to analyze complex physiological issues and provide the most effective treatment based on your condition.

In addition to addressing issues that impact the colon and rectum, colorectal surgeons can also treat inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis), polyps, rectal cancer, hernias and anal fistulas (tunnels that develop between your skin and the inside of the anus or anal canal and ooze blood with bowel movements). They can also correct sphincter muscles in the anus and rectum to prevent fecal incontinence, and they can relieve symptoms of priapism and pruritus ani (itching in the perianal area).

The goal of your colorectal surgeon is to give you back the healthiest, highest-functioning version of yourself. Our team at Novant Health understands how sensitive it can be to talk about these types of health issues and is committed to treating you with compassion and discretion. Our experts are always available to listen and answer your questions.

Surgery

Your large intestine, or colon, is the last part of the journey food takes through your digestive tract before exiting your body at the bottom. Although not all conditions affecting your colon or rectum require surgical treatment, your healthcare provider may refer you to a colorectal surgeon if they believe one can treat your condition more effectively than another type of doctor.

During surgery, the surgeon removes or alters your colon and rectum based on your medical needs. This can include removing a diseased portion of the colon or creating an opening, known as a stoma, in your abdominal wall to help with waste removal when a complete colon removal is not possible.

The exact procedure used depends on your individual situation, but typically a minimally invasive procedure will be performed to reduce complications and speed up your recovery. Before surgery, you will have to drink a liquid solution called bowel prep to clear your lower digestive tract of waste so that the surgeon has a clean area to operate on.

Colorectal surgeons have an in-depth knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of your colon and rectum, so they are uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat conditions that affect both of these areas. They can use endoscopic, laparoscopic or open surgery to address your symptoms and correct the problem.

Your surgeon will place you under general anesthesia for your safety during the operation. Depending on your surgery, you will either stay in the hospital for several days or recover at home afterward.

Some conditions are treated with endoscopic procedures, which are done through small tubes with a camera and light attached at the tip. The tube is guided down the length of your colon to locate the problem. The doctor then uses a tool called a snare to grab the tumor or other abnormal tissue and pull it out through the tube.

Your surgeon may also remove polyps from your colon with a colonoscope. If the polyps are cancerous, you may need a more involved surgery to remove them and reconnect your gastrointestinal tract.