Steps to Take to Recover from Colorectal Surgery
Colorectal surgery is a field in medicine dealing with disorders of the rectum, anus and colon. This can be anywhere from inflammatory bowel disease to treating a prolapsed rectum, haemorrhoids or even bowel cancer.
In most cases, a diagnostic colonoscopy is necessary prior to colorectal surgery. In order for the surgeon to obtain a clear view of the entire large intestine, bowel cleansing is started 24 hours prior to the procedure and patients should remain on clear fluids from that time until around three hours before their colonoscopy.
Surgery is generally performed using minimally invasive techniques also called laparoscopic (or keyhole) procedures. They may vary from limited bowel resection (laparoscopic right hemicolectomy, laparoscopic high anterior resection) right through extensive removal of the large intestine (laparoscopic total colectomy). Resection of haemorrhoids is much simpler and is generally carried out as a day stay procedure. Continue reading