Colorectal surgery procedures are generally between two and three hours in length, but may take longer depending on the particular circumstance. The majority of colon resections performed by the doctors here at Colon Rectal Surgical Associates are laparoscopic (minimally invasive) surgeries.
A colectomy is a major surgery that requires a lot of healing time, but most patients recover fully and resume normal activities within a few months. To better understand the need for a colectomy, this quick overview of the digestive system may be helpful: The food you eat ends up in your stomach.
Once the surgery is over, you will be taken to the recovery room. You will stay in recovery anywhere from one to two hours. Then, you will be transferred to your room once you're in stable condition. You may stay in the hospital for two to five days after surgery.
The surgery will take 2 to 4 hours.
Risks of bowel surgery
These may include infection, bleeding, blood clots, damage to nearby organs, or leaking from the joins between the remaining parts of the bowel. After the operation, you will be carefully monitored for any complications.
The standard treatment for stage I–III colon cancer is surgical resection of the primary tumor for patients, which is associated with a 5-year survival rate ranging from 92% in stage 1 to 53% in stage III [2].
In many cases, people are able to use the restroom normally once they recover from surgery. However, there are some instances in which a large portion of the digestive tract must be removed or the bowel cannot be immediately reattached. In these cases, a temporary or permanent colostomy might be required.
The day after surgery, the goal is to walk five times, eat meals in a chair, and be out of bed for four hours.
During your first week, you should stick to taking anywhere between 2 to 4 ten-minute light-paced walks a day. Week 2 is when you should increase their duration. Instead of the initial 10 minutes, they should now last 15.
Your Recovery
You may feel like you have influenza (flu). You also may have a low fever and feel tired and nauseated. This is common. You should feel better after 1 to 2 weeks and will probably be back to normal in 2 to 4 weeks.
What foods should I avoid in the few weeks after surgery? Caffeinated Beverages, Alcohol and Chocolate can worsen dehydration. Raw Fruits (except bananas, cantaloupe and honeydew melon) and Raw Vegetables (except for small amounts of shredded lettuce), Beans and Whole Grains can cause blockages early after surgery.
Infection. Injury to your bladder, ureters or blood vessels. Intestines pushing through the incision into your belly (incisional hernia) Scar tissue that forms an intestinal blockage (stricture)
When you wake up after surgery, you will have some pain and will need pain medicines for a few days. For the first couple of days, you may not be able to eat or you may be allowed limited liquids, as the colon needs some time to recover. Most people are able to eat solid food in a few days.
You are likely to have pain that comes and goes for the next few days after bowel surgery. You may have bowel cramps, and your cut (incision) may hurt. You may also feel like you have influenza (flu). You may have a low fever and feel tired and nauseated.
Eat foods that are easy to swallow and digest. These usually consist of soft, moist foods such as soup, gelatin, pudding, and yogurt.
About 300,000 Americans undergo colon surgery each year, oftentimes to remove cancer or polyps. For most patients, the surgery is uneventful.
Over the period of surgery, patients on average lost weight (mean −1.9 kg, SD 4.6 kg) (n=357). Weight increased during chemotherapy (2.9 kg, SD 5.8 kg) (n=291) and increased during oncological follow-up (2.2 kg, SD 6.6 kg) (n=242). Mean weight change over the total period was +2.0 kg (SD 6.8 kg) (n=283).
During the first few days after your operation you'll start to feel better. The drips and drains come out, you start eating and you can move about more easily. You'll begin to feel like you are making progress. Most people go home about a week after surgery.
General Wound Care
Keep the dressings clean and dry for first 48hr (no showering). After 48hrs, you may remove the outer bandages over your incisions and you may shower; wash and dry wounds gently with soap and water; no dressing needed after first 48hrs. No soaking in tub or pool for 2 weeks following surgery.
To minimize pain when you are moving about, support your incision with a small pillow or rolled up towel. Sleeping with a pillow under or between your knees will relieve stress on the incision area.
If you are having colon surgery and you do not have any problems after your procedure, you may go home as soon as the next day after your surgery. If you are having rectal surgery and you do not have any problems after your procedure, you may go home 2 days after your surgery.
A colostomy is an operation to create an opening (stoma) of the large bowel (colon) onto the surface of the tummy (abdomen). Your poo no longer passes out of your body through your back passage. Instead, it passes out through the stoma. You wear a bag that sticks onto the skin over the stoma to collect your poo.
Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is usually given after surgery for stage 3 colon cancer to reduce the risk of recurrence. Chemotherapy can be started 4 to 8 weeks after surgery and is usually given for 6 months.
If you have regular and predictable bowel patterns, you may not always need to wear a colostomy bag. But as occasional leakages can happen, it's recommended that you wear a small stoma cap. Additional products that can make living with a colostomy more convenient include: support belts and girdles.