Cancer, diverticulitis and what to expect from a colectomy

1. Opening / overview (indications).
   Colectomy is a major abdominal procedure used to treat colon cancer, large non-removable polyps, recurrent diverticulitis, chronic inflammatory bowel disease complications, and bowel obstruction. Many thousands of these procedures are performed annually; the exact number varies by indication but the operation is a cornerstone of colorectal surgery. SAGES+1

2. What the operation involves.
   Surgical options range from minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic colectomy (keyhole incisions) to open colectomy. The surgeon removes the diseased colon segment and usually reconnects the bowel (anastomosis); sometimes a temporary or permanent stoma (colostomy/ileostomy) is created depending on the disease and urgency.

3. Recovery and timeline.
   Hospital stay after elective minimally invasive colectomy is typically 2–5 days; open surgery often requires longer. Full recovery can take 4–8 weeks for everyday activities and longer for a return to heavy labor. Recovery goals include early mobilization, return of bowel function, and adequate nutrition; enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols help speed recovery and reduce complications.

4. Risks and benefits.
   Benefit: definitive treatment for malignant or complicated benign disease, symptom control, and removal of diseased tissue. Risks: anastomotic leak (serious), bleeding, infection, bowel obstruction, hernia at incision sites, and need for a stoma. Cancer resections also include lymph node removal which is important for staging and prognosis.

5. Closing & practical advice.
   Preoperative optimization (smoking cessation, nutrition, diabetes control) markedly reduces complications. If you’re scheduled for colectomy for cancer, ask your surgeon about staging, the need for adjuvant therapy, and expected pathology timelines. If a stoma is possible, we’ll consult our enterostomal therapist preop so you know what to expect.