Colonoscopy is an examination procedure to evaluate the inside of your large intestine, rectum, and anus. You may need a colonoscopy if you have colorectal cancer. 

What Happens During a Colonoscopy? 

A colonoscopy takes around 15 minutes to complete. It is done via a colonoscope which is a small, lighted camera attached to the end of a long, thin, and flexible tube or catheter. Your surgeon will insert this colonoscope through your anus and advance it through your colon to reach the small intestine. 

While advancing towards the small intestine, the catheter also pumps air to inflate it. The camera transmits video of your inside to a monitor. Your surgeon will analyze your condition by closely observing the result on the monitor and track back the colonoscope the same way it was inserted. 

What Happens After a Colonoscopy? 

After the procedure, you will be moved to a recovery room where you will be monitored for an hour before going back home. 

What Are the Risks Associated with a Colonoscopy? 

Colonoscopy is safe. It may, however, cause: 

• Injury to your colon wall. 

• Uncontrolled bleeding. 

• Infection. 

Colectomy or colon resection surgery is a surgical procedure to remove a part or all of your colon. 

Why Do You Need a Colectomy? 

You may need a colectomy if you have: 

• Colon cancer. 

• Precancerous colon. 

• Large bowel obstruction or inflammatory bowel disease. 

• Uncontrolled bleeding from the colon. 

What Happens During a Colectomy? 

Depending on your condition, your surgeon may perform the surgery with an open or laparoscopic approach. In general, during the surgery, your surgeon will: 

• Give you an anaesthesia. 

• Make one or more incisions on your abdomen. 

• Separate and remove the affected colon tissue. 

• Connect the healthy bowel with sutures or staples or create a stoma and redirect your bowel end to the stoma. 

• Close your incisions. 

What Happens After a Colectomy? 

After the procedure, you will be moved to a recovery area. If you had a laparoscopic procedure, you may go home on the same day. If you had an open procedure, you will likely be in the hospital for a few days. 

What Are the Risks Associated with a Colectomy? 

Colectomy is usually safe. It may, however, cause: 

• Infection. 

• Bleeding. 

• Injury to surrounding tissues. 

Rectal resection or abdominoperineal resection (APR) is a surgical procedure to remove the anus, rectum, and sigmoid colon. This is mainly done to treat rectal cancer located very low in the rectum. 

What Happens During APR? 

During the procedure, the surgeon will: 

• Give you an anaesthesia. 

• Prepare your sigmoid colon and rectum for removal by dividing your blood vessels. 

• Prepare your rectum for removal. 

• Remove the anus and rectum. 

• Perform colostomy. 

What Happens After APR? 

After the procedure, you will be moved to an intensive care unit and will be required to stay in the hospital for many days. 

What Are the Risks Associated with APR? 

APR is generally safe. It may, however, cause: 

• Bleeding. 

• Perineal wound problems. 

• Perineal sinus. 

Haemorrhoidectomy is a surgical procedure to remove haemorrhoids or piles. Hameorrhides are enlarged blood vessels in your anus that may cause bleeding and anal pain. 

What Happens During a Haemorrhoidectomy? 

During the procedure, your surgeon will give you an anaesthetic, locate your haemorrhoids, cut the affected tissue, and seal the blood vessels. The surgeon may use a scalpel to cut the haemorrhoids or use an electrothermal device. 

What Happens After a Haemorrhoidectomy? 

After the procedure, you will be moved to a recovery area and you will be able to go home on the same day. 

A fistulotomy is a surgical procedure to treat a fistula. A fistula occurs when two of your organs or vessels form an abnormal connection. An anal fistula occurs when your perianal skin forms an abnormal connection with the surface of the anal canal. 

What Happens During the Procedure? 

Fistuolotomy is a minor surgery and takes about an hour to complete. During the procedure, the surgeon will make an incision to open up the abnormal connection between the two organs and close the incisions. 

What Happens After a Fistulotomy? 

After the procedure, you can go back home on the same day and follow all the instructions given by your surgeon. 

An anal fissure refers to a crack or tear in the lining of your anal canal. It leads to anal pain and bleeding especially during your bowel movements. 

What Are the Symptoms of Anal Fissure? 

The most common symptoms include: 

• Sharp pain while pooping. 

• Burning or itching sensation while pooping. 

• Fresh, red blood in your poop. 

• A lump on the skin near the tear. 

How Are Anal Fissures Treated? 

If you have anal fissures for more than 8 weeks, your doctor may aim to relax the sphincter muscles surrounding the anal canal. This involves the following treatments: 

• Medications: 

The medical management for anal fissures includes nitroglycerine ointment, calcium channel blockers, botox, or bulk laxatives. 

• Surgery: 

If your anal fissure does not heal with medications or comes back after healing, surgery may be needed. During the surgery, your surgeon will give you anaesthesia, make an incision into your anal sphincter muscle to release tension permanently and close the incision. 

Bowel obstruction refers to partial or complete blockage of either of your bowels, that is, small intestine and large intestine.  

What Are the Symptoms of Bowel Obstruction? 

You may have the following symptoms: 

• Abdominal pain, bloating, and cramping. 

• Nausea and vomiting. 

• Lack of appetite. 

• Diarrhoea. 

• Severe constipation. 

• Dehydration. 

How is Bowel Obstruction Treated? 

Bowel obstruction requires prompt treatment in the hospital. A partial obstruction may require treatment to stabilize your condition. This may include: 

• IV fluids. 

• Nasogastric tube.  

• Medications. 

• Bowel rest. 

• Surgery. 

During the surgery, your surgeon may remove adhesions or tumours causing a blockage. Following this, your surgeon will also place a stent or mesh tube to keep your intestine open and resolve the obstruction. 

Colostomy refers to a surgical procedure that redirects your colon from its normal route, down toward the anus, to a new opening in your abdominal wall. This new opening is called Stoma.  

Why Do You Need a Colostomy? 

You may need a colostomy, if you have: 

• Diverticulitis. 

• Inflammatory bowel disease. 

• Acute injury to the colon. 

• Obstruction in your colon.  

• Anal fistula. 

What Happens During a Colostomy? 

Your surgeon may perform a colostomy in one of the two ways: 

• Laparoscopic surgery: 

During this procedure, your surgeon will make a small incision in your abdomen insert a laparoscope and perform the procedure. 

• Open surgery: 

During this procedure, your surgeon will make one long incision in your abdomen, stitch the remaining end of your bowel to the opening of the abdominal wall and seal the inactive bowel. 

What Happens After a Colostomy? 

After the procedure, you will be moved to an intensive care unit and will be required to stay in the hospital for a few days. 

What Are the Risks Associated with Colostomy? 

A colostomy is safe. It may, however, cause: 

• Injury to surrounding organs. 

• Infection. 

• Bleeding. 

• Blood clots.

Bowel diversion or loop colostomy is a procedure that severs your colon and diverts the upper part to a new artificial opening in your abdominal cavity called a stoma. 

Why Do You Need Loop Colostomy? 

You may need loop colostomy if you have: 

• Ulcerative colitis. 

• Diverticulitis. 

• Crohn’s disease. 

• Large bowel obstruction. 

What Happens During a Loop Colostomy? 

Depending on your condition, your surgeon may perform the surgery by laparoscopy or open approach. During the laparoscopy, you will have 2-3 small incisions and one large incision with open surgery. 

During both procedures, however, you will receive anaesthesia. The surgeon will mark the position of the stoma on your body where your colon needs to be divided and bring the bowel loop through the incision. The surgeon will sever the loop and place the two open ends side-by-side in the stoma and stitch them together. 

What Happens After a Loop Colostomy? 

After the procedure, you will moved to an intensive care unit and will be required to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days. 

What Are the Risks Associated with a Loop Colostomy? 

Loop colostomy is safe. It may, however, cause: 

• Injury to surrounding organs. 

• Infection. 

• Bleeding. 

• Blood clots. 

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery or TEM is a procedure to treat rectal conditions including tumours.  

Why Do You Need TEM? 

You may need TEM if you have: 

• Rectal cancer, 

• Non-cancerous rectal tumour. 

• Infection in the rectum. 

• Rectal prolapse. 

• Rectal narrowing. 

What Happens During TEM? 

During the procedure, your surgeon will: 

• Give you an anaesthesia. 

• Insert a rectoscope through your anus into your rectum. 

• Fill your rectum with gas to have a clear view of the tumour. 

• Insert microsurgical instruments and a camera via the rectoscope. 

• Remove tumours or polyps along with some nearby tissues. 

• Stitch the incision and inner rectal lining. 

What Happens After TEM? 

After the surgery, you will be moved to a recovery room and will be required to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days. 

What Are the Risks Associated with TEM? 

TEM is safe. It may, however, cause: 

• Bleeding. 

• Infection. 

• Abdominal pain. 

• Urinary retention. 

• Fecal urgency. 

Transanal minimally invasive surgery or TAIMS is a surgical procedure to remove early-stage cancerous tumours inside the rectum and lower sigmoid colon. 

TAMIS uses the anal opening rather than an incision in the abdominal wall which means it is less invasive. During TAMIS, a specialised laparoscopic surgery port is placed into the anus. The laparoscope and instruments required to carry out the procedure are passed through the port to the rectum, where the surgeon removes the polyp or tumour. Once the lesion is removed, the defect in the rectum is usually sutured closed.