Colorectal Surgeon Phoenix treats conditions that affect the colon, rectum, and anus. They perform many procedures using minimally invasive techniques.

During surgery, they make small incisions into the abdomen and insert a long tool with a camera (colonoscope). They may also use instruments to remove diseased sections or excise growths.

Hemorrhoids are a common condition that can affect people of all ages. They develop from swollen blood vessels in the anal canal and perianal area. Hemorrhoids can cause pain, itching, or bleeding during bowel movements. They can also prolapse out of the anal opening, causing a bulge that is painful to touch. Hemorrhoids do not increase your risk of colorectal cancer, but they can be a sign of a more serious condition. That’s why it’s important to see a doctor for symptoms of hemorrhoids, especially if they are persistent or accompanied by rectal bleeding.

Hemorrhoid symptoms often improve with a few days of home treatment, including a sitz bath and fiber supplements. However, if the symptoms persist or if new hemorrhoids appear, your colon and rectal surgeon can recommend a variety of office-based treatments.

Rubber band ligation: Your doctor places a small rubber band on the base of an external hemorrhoid to cut off its blood supply and shrink it. Electrocoagulation and infrared coagulation use electric current or heat to cauterize and destroy the hemorrhoid tissue. Sclerotherapy: A chemical solution is injected into the swollen hemorrhoid to shrink it.

If home treatments don’t help, your doctor may perform a hemorrhoidectomy to remove extra tissue that causes bleeding and protrusion. This surgery is done under a local anesthetic and may be combined with a medicine to make you feel calm, also known as a sedative or spinal anesthesia. If the colon is damaged, a temporary or permanent colostomy may be needed to create an opening in your abdomen through which stool can pass and be collected in a bag. Your surgeon will use different surgical techniques to reconnect the colon or create a stoma.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

IBD is an inflammatory disorder that affects the lower digestive tract. Two of the most common forms are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. These diseases cause chronic inflammation, and they can also lead to serious complications, including colon cancer. The good news is that IBD patients can minimize their colorectal cancer risk by following a healthy diet and getting regular screenings.

People with IBD have a genetic predisposition to develop the condition, but certain foods or environmental triggers can also trigger it. Symptoms of IBD include bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and a feeling that the bowel is not emptying (bowel urgency). Depending on the type of IBD, symptoms may come and go. These are known as flare-ups.

Keeping a food diary and avoiding any foods that trigger your symptoms is important for managing your IBD. It’s also a good idea to take a walk, do some light exercise, or try meditation or yoga. Stress can also aggravate IBD symptoms, so it’s a good idea to find ways to decrease your stress level.

Your Aurora Healthcare team will work with you to manage your IBD and prevent complications. They will help you understand the condition, and they may recommend a variety of treatment options. These may include medication, lifestyle changes, and surgery.

Doctors often take a step-by-step approach to treating IBD. They’ll start with the least harmful drugs and then move on to higher doses if the initial medications don’t work. These medicines can include antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs and immune system suppressants. They may also recommend supplements to reduce inflammation and dietary changes. The goal is to improve quality of life for people with IBD by reducing future flare-ups and healing the inflammation on a deep cellular level.

Small Intestinal Obstruction (SIO)

The small bowel is responsible for digestion and absorption of nutrients. Any obstructive mechanism hinders these physiologic components and can lead to severe complications such as bowel obstruction. SBO is usually characterized by abdominal pain, a sensation of fullness or distension, vomiting, and the inability to pass feces. If the condition is not treated immediately, it can cause a significant loss of fluids and electrolytes. If the obstructive process is left untreated, it can progress to a complication known as ischemic bowel disease. This is a life-threatening situation because it means that the blood supply to the bowel is cut off, which can lead to third-spacing and subsequent emesis.

Adhesion-induced SBO occurs in the region of the surgical site and can be associated with the presence of scar tissue. A number of studies have shown that laparoscopic (LPS) surgery reduces the incidence of adhesive SBO compared to traditional open (TOS) surgery. However, other factors, including the duration of anesthesia and the type of colorectal resection, may influence the risk of developing adhesive SBO.

In the present study, 1123 patients who underwent surgery for CRC were analyzed. Adhesion-induced SBO episodes that required admission or reintervention were recorded, along with the surgery type and setting and the original surgical approach. The SBO patterns and the surgical techniques were compared between the MIS and TOS groups.

Most of the SBO events in both groups required operative management. Generally, the procedure involved lysis of simple adhesions and reduction of incarcerated bowel loops. In cases where the obstructive process was advanced or when extensive adhesiolysis was not feasible, segmental bowel resection was performed. Depending on the severity of SBO, the procedure also included laparoscopic or open repair of the underlying hernia.

Cancer

A colorectal surgeon is a specialist in diseases of the lower digestive tract. They treat benign and malignant conditions involving the colon, rectum, anus and small intestine using both open and minimally invasive (laparoscopic and robotic) techniques. They can also manage cancer spread to other organs such as the lungs and liver.

Colorectal cancer is a disease that starts in the large bowel (colon) and can grow to other parts of the body. Surgery is usually the first treatment if you have colorectal cancer. Your surgeon will remove the cancerous tissue, along with a margin of healthy tissue around it. The type of surgery your surgeon does depends on the position and size of the tumor.

If the cancer is in the large bowel but hasn’t spread to other parts of your body, your surgeon might just need to remove part of your colon. This is called a partial colectomy. Sometimes, your surgeon may need to take out the whole colon, which is called a total colectomy. The surgery can be done through a long incision (cut) in the abdomen or with smaller incisions.

After your surgeon removes the tumor and a margin of healthy tissue, they will join the ends of your colon back together. Sometimes, to give the colon time to heal, they will attach the top end of your colon to an opening (called a stoma) that is made in the skin of your abdomen. Stool will then come out of this opening. This is called a colostomy, and it is usually temporary.

In some cases, the new connections between your colon and rectum can leak. A big leak can cause severe pain and fever and can make the belly feel hard. If the leak is small, your surgeon might repair it with stitches.

Surgery

Colorectal surgeons perform a wide range of surgical procedures, including the removal of large polyps, cancers, and inflammatory bowel disease. They also perform colonoscopies to monitor for early signs of cancer. These are performed by inserting a thin tube (colonoscopy) into the colon or rectum.

Some patients have a type of surgery called a colectomy, which involves removing part or all of the colon. This might be done to treat cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or rectal prolapse. In addition, it can be used to treat a hernia in the lower abdomen.

If the tumor is near the edge of your colon, surgeons may remove only a portion of the large intestine (colon). This operation is called a hemicolectomy or partial colectomy. If the cancer is further along, they may remove a larger section of your colon. The surgeon then joins the end of your bowel to the remaining colon. This is called anastomosis.

Your doctor might also recommend removing a smaller piece of your bowel, called a segmental colectomy. This reduces the chance of a bowel joining in the wrong place, which increases the risk of a surgical site infection.

The type of surgery you have will affect your recovery time. You might have to follow a liquid diet and limit your activities, such as lifting or coughing. It might take a few days for your colon to “wake up” and start working again. You might also need more tests if you have problems with your bowel function after your surgery. The cause might be related to the anesthesia or to how your colon was handled during the surgery. The bowel might also have trouble because of your medicines or other health conditions.