Colorectal Surgeon Phoenix treats diseases of the colon, rectum, and nearby areas. They can remove a diseased portion of the colon or the entire colon and reconnect the small intestine to the anus.
Surgeons may also repair a colostomy by creating a pouch from the small intestine to connect to the anus, so waste can leave the body normally through an opening called a stoma. Stomas can be temporary or permanent.
Hemorrhoids are vascular cushions that live inside the anal canal. They are normal and can become painful if the blood supply becomes constricted or the tissue is enlarged and protrudes from the anal canal. The condition may be caused by sitting for long periods, straining during bowel movements, pregnancy, or constipation. People with hemorrhoids often have pain in the rectal area, itching, and bleeding.
A primary care physician can treat hemorrhoidal disease conservatively with increased dietary fiber, stool softeners, and water intake. These modifications decrease the sheering pressure that causes hemorrhoids and allow the irritated tissues to return to their non-pathologic state.
In some cases, symptomatic hemorrhoids are too severe for conservative treatments and require more aggressive treatment. Colorectal surgeons can offer several office-based treatment options, such as rubber band ligation and sclerotherapy, which work by cutting off the hemorrhoid’s blood flow. Both treatments are quick and typically take less than 15 minutes to perform.
Surgical options for severe or persistent hemorrhoids include a hemorrhoidectomy, which is the surgical removal of a hemorrhoid, and Hemorrhoidopexy, which involves placing a stapling device over the irritated areas to block blood flow. This procedure is usually performed under a spinal block or local or general anesthesia.
Hemorrhoids can also lead to anemia, which is caused by ongoing blood loss from irritated and hemorrhoidal tissue. Rarely, the blood loss can lead to a life-threatening infection of the anal skin. This can occur if there is an underlying medical issue, such as cancer or inflammatory bowel disease.
Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis occurs when small bulging pouches, called diverticula, develop in the colon and become inflamed or infected. A person with diverticulitis may experience abdominal pain, fever, chills and diarrhea. Most often, diverticulitis is mild and clears up on its own. However, if the condition becomes complicated, a person can develop a bowel perforation or a blood infection that requires surgery.
Surgeons generally recommend at-home treatment for diverticulitis, including eating a low-fiber diet and taking oral antibiotics and stool softeners. In some cases, surgeons may also advise patients to stay in the hospital to receive intravenous antibiotics or fluids.
Some people with recurrent episodes of diverticulitis experience a complication known as a stricture. This happens when scar tissue forms in response to repeated inflammation and narrows the colon so fecal material can’t pass through. In some cases, surgeons will suggest surgery to remove a diseased segment of the colon.
Occasionally, a diverticulum can rupture and cause a life-threatening complication called peritonitis. This complication results when the weakened pocket of the colon wall ruptures and allows bacteria to spread into the surrounding abdominal cavity, causing severe abdominal pain and possibly even a blood infection called sepsis. Surgeons use endoscopic procedures, such as a colonoscope or sigmoidoscope, to treat complications related to diverticulitis. They can often stop active bleeding, drain an abscess and open up a tight section of the colon with tools passed through these devices.
Some people who have recurrent diverticulitis require surgery to remove the entire colon, or colectomy. In the past, surgeons primarily recommended this procedure for people with severe symptoms and frequent attacks of diverticulitis that didn’t respond to medication. But recent studies have found that a less-invasive approach can offer the same results and reduce the risk of future diverticulitis episodes. Surgeons have also discarded older dogma about when to recommend surgery and are more inclined to consider patient factors, rather than the number and severity of episodes, in making this decision. Surgeons continue to discuss ways to improve this process through education and shared decision-making initiatives.
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
If you have inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, your digestive system becomes inflamed and you have symptoms. It’s not contagious, but it can cause permanent damage to the lining of your gastrointestinal tract. It affects the way your body digests food, absorbs nutrients and eliminates waste. There are two main forms of IBD, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It’s also possible to have IBD that doesn’t fit into either of these categories, which is called indeterminate colitis.
Symptoms of IBD can include abdominal pain and cramping; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; rectal bleeding; and weight loss and malaise. Symptoms may come and go, with periods of active disease (flareup) and times when the symptoms don’t appear, which is called remission.
The goal of treatment is to reduce inflammation, which can help you achieve remission and lower your risk of complications. Your doctor may prescribe medications to treat your IBD, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids. Your doctor might also ask you to make changes to your diet or lifestyle. For example, your doctor might suggest that you eat smaller meals more often or avoid foods that worsen your symptoms.
In some cases, your doctor might recommend surgery to repair or remove parts of your colon that are damaged by IBD. Your surgeon can do this using laparoscopic procedures. These are less invasive, which means you might have faster recovery time and heal more quickly.
Colorectal cancer is more common in people who have IBD for eight years or more, so it’s important to get regular screening for this disease. Your doctor can check for IBD-related colorectal cancer with a colonoscopy and stool sample test.
IBD can change your life, but it doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying your hobbies and pursuing your goals. There are also support groups and other resources available to help you cope with your condition. It’s important to educate yourself about IBD and talk with other people who have the condition. This can help you feel more comfortable talking about the illness with family and friends. And don’t forget to see your primary care doctor regularly, so he or she can monitor your overall health and address any non-IBD issues.
Cancer
Cancer is one of the most difficult conditions to treat, but advancements in colorectal surgery are reducing the time it takes for people to recover. Colon cancer is the nation’s second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, but it’s also a disease that’s often preventable with routine screening.
When colorectal cancer is found, doctors try to preserve the large intestine (colon) and anus as much as possible while treating the tumor. They may use chemotherapy or radiation along with surgery. The type of surgery depends on the position and stage of the cancer, as well as whether it has spread to other parts of the body.
A person who needs colon surgery must follow a diet and use laxative drinks or enemas to clear the colon before the operation. It’s important to talk with your colorectal surgeon about what to expect during and after the procedure, including the possibility of needing a temporary or permanent colostomy bag.
Colorectal surgeons are trained to use different techniques to perform surgery, depending on the location of the cancer. If the cancer is in the lower part of the large intestine, they can use a procedure called abdominoperineal resection to remove the entire rectum and the section of the anus closest to it. This allows the sphincter that controls bowel movements to stay closed and avoid stool leakage. A surgical oncologist may then attach the remaining part of the rectum to the anus through an opening in your abdomen, which is called a stoma.
In other cases, the surgeon must use open surgery to remove the colon and rectum if the cancer has spread. During this, the surgeon makes a large cut in the abdomen and removes the cancerous tissue. They also look around the rest of the intestines and liver to check for more tumors.
The surgeon can also use a less invasive technique called laparoscopic colon surgery. In this, the surgeon uses a tube with a camera attached to insert the instruments they need. This is more comfortable for patients than making a large incision. The surgery can still take about six or seven hours, but recovery time is significantly quicker.