Colectomy Effects on Digestion

A colectomy is a surgical procedure a doctor uses to remove all or part of a patient’s colon. Physicians typically recommend a colectomy to treat disorders of the colon. Naturally, this procedure changes a patient’s digestion in several ways.

Colectomy

• According to the Mayo Clinic, a surgeon may make several small abdominal incisions during a laparoscopic colectomy or one large incision in an open colectomy. Then the surgeon removes all or part of the colon and reconnects the remaining parts of the digestive system to allow the patient to expel waste from the body.

Regaining Bowel Function

• A patient usually remains in the hospital for several days after a colectomy to allow his bowel functioning to return to normal. The patient will transition from intravenous to liquid feeding during his hospital recovery and return home when the patient’s digestive system recovers the ability to digest solid foods and consume a regular diet.

Colostomy

• Surgeons may reshape a patient’s digestive system and attach the colon or small intestine to a stoma, or hole, in the abdomen. The patient then can expel waste through the stoma into a special bag he wears.

Other Digestion Changes

• A physician may connect a patient’s small intestine to a pouch that attaches to the anus. The patient will expel waste through the anus but may have watery bowel movements several times throughout each day.

Reasons for Colectomy

• A doctor may perform a colectomy to treat inflammatory bowel disease, diverticular disease or polyps in the lining of the colon, according to The University of Chicago Medical Center. Patients with colon or rectal cancer may require a colectomy.