Colorectal surgery : Specialists

What does colorectal mean?

Colorectal is the term used to describe diseases of the colon, anus and rectum. The colon or large bowel is the last part of the digestive system which transports wastes from the small intestine to the rectum where they are eliminated from the body.

What is a colorectal surgeon?

A colorectal surgeon performs surgery on the colon or rectum as well as conducting diagnostic tests such as a colonoscopy.

What does a colorectal surgeon do?

He or she diagnoses and treats benign and malignant disorders of the colon and rectum. This includes endoscopic procedures such as:

• Sigmoidoscopy
• Colonoscopy

A sigmoidoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure in which a slim tube with a camera is inserted into the rectum to examine the last part of the colon called the ‘sigmoid colon’.

A colonoscopy is a similar procedure to sigmoidoscopy but involves an examination of all of the colon and rectum.

Both procedures are performed to detect signs of cancer or conditions such as Crohn’sdisease or ulcerative colitis. A colorectal surgeon carries out a wide range of surgeries which include:

• Removing pre-cancerous polyps from the colon
• Treatment of colon cancer
• Colostomy
• Bowel resection: the removal of a section of the bowel to treat diverticulitis
• Repairing anal fissures
• Haemorrhoid (piles) removal

These forms of surgery can treat a wide range of conditions such as colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and constipation.