Your doctor might recommend colorectal surgery to treat various benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) colorectal conditions, such as colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases (ie. Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis), polyps, hernias, haemorrhoids (swollen blood vessels in the anus and lower rectum) and incontinence.
If you suffer from colorectal cancer, you are likely to undergo surgery to remove the tumour. The surgery is mainly performed using the minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure. The cancer can also be treated using open surgery to remove the tumour and neighbouring colon tissues and lymph nodes.
Laparoscopic colorectal surgery is performed with minimal discomfort and few complications. It also allows faster recovery and return to normal daily activities, as compared to open surgery. However, your doctor needs to assess whether you are suitable for this surgery. If you have very large lesions (tissue damage), suffer severe cardio-respiratory conditions or have undergone several other abdominal surgery before, you may not be suitable for laparoscopic colorectal surgery.