Bowel Resection

Resection is another name for any operation that removes tissue or part of an organ. Bowel resection, also called partial colectomy, removes a diseased or damaged part of the colon or rectum. Bowel resection can be done for many diseases that affect the colon, such as Reference colorectal cancer Opens New Window, Reference diverticulitis Opens New Window, or Reference Crohn's disease Opens New Window.

The goal of bowel resection is to take out the part of the colon or rectum where the problem is. If the doctor is removing cancer from the colon, nearby Reference lymph nodes Opens New Window are taken out and tested for cancer. Then healthy parts of the colon or rectum are sewn back together. Bowel resection is done either by opening the abdomen (open resection) or by Reference laparoscopy Opens New Window.

View the Reference slideshow on bowel resection Opens New Window Reference Opens New Window to see what happens during this surgery.

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