4 Reasons You Might Need Colon Surgery
March 27th, 2023 12:00am
Due to its position near the end of the digestive tract, the colon is prone to experiencing quite a few issues. While not all of them are extreme enough to require surgery, some of them will be. If you’ve experienced some colon-related problems recently, hopefully, you’ve talked to your doctor about them.
Your doctor can give you more information on what you should do about it, but knowing what to prepare for is never a bad idea. Here are some of the more common reasons you might need colon surgery that you might want to keep in mind.
Extreme Bowel Obstruction
Constipation caused by bowel obstructions is typically a problem that will remedy itself given enough time. However, you’ll sometimes need to do something to fix it. In most cases, medication will help loosen things up, but surgery might be the only option in some extreme scenarios.
If nothing can get through your intestines whatsoever, you’ll need emergency surgery to open things back up. When blockages happen at the level, it’s usually because of a problem in the intestines. A medical professional will repair or remove the source of the issue while also clearing out your bowels.
Troublesome Wounds or Infections
Not all damaged colon tissue will lead to an obstruction, however. Sometimes, you’ll have intense intestinal pain caused by an internal wound or infection. Medications will usually do the job to heal these problems, but if they don’t, surgery will be your next best option.
Like with a bowel obstruction, the surgeon will repair or remove the infected or damaged area of your bowels. As long as the removed section is small enough, you shouldn’t have to worry about any significant lifestyle changes.
Incurable Diseases
Larger colon removals will have some changes that come with them. These are most common for colon-based diseases like cancer and Crohn’s disease. Certain medications and treatments can help reduce your symptoms if these issues get caught early. If they’re not, surgery will likely be your next best option.
If the damage done by the disease is extreme enough, you might have to have most, if not all, of your colon removed. If this happens, you’ll also receive an ileostomy. There’s a lot you should know about ileostomies, but the reason to get one is so your stool can exit the body without needing your colon.
Preventative Measures
Since some of these diseases might be difficult to catch once they occur, one reason why some people might choose to have colon surgery is as a preventative measure. If you come from a family with a history of colon cancer or you’re beginning to show signs that could lead to a colon-based disease, this type of surgery can save you a lot of future pain and struggle.