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Colorectal Surgery guides
22 plain-English, evidence-linked guides in Colorectal Surgery, with clinical review status shown on each page.
Abdominoperineal resection (removing the rectum and anus) (Abdominoperineal resection (APR))An operation to remove the lower rectum, the anus and the back-passage muscles, usually for a very low cancer, leaving a permanent colostomy (stoma).Anal fissure surgery (Surgery for chronic anal fissure (botulinum toxin injection, lateral internal sphincterotomy or advancement flap))Procedures to help a long-standing tear in the lining of the anus heal when creams and self-care have not worked, by relaxing or carefully dividing the tight muscle, or covering the tear with healthy tissue.Anal skin tag removal (Excision of anal skin tag)A small procedure to remove a harmless flap of skin at the edge of the back passage, usually for comfort or hygiene reasons rather than medical necessity.Anal wart treatment (Treatment of anogenital warts (perianal/anal))Treatment to clear visible warts around or inside the back passage caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), using creams, freezing or minor surgery.Anterior resection (removing part of the rectum) (Anterior resection of the rectum)An operation to remove part of the rectum (back passage) and the lower colon, usually for a cancer, then join the bowel back together so the back passage can still be used.Banding of haemorrhoids (Rubber band ligation of haemorrhoids)A quick outpatient procedure where a small rubber band is placed around the base of a haemorrhoid (pile) to cut off its blood supply, so it shrinks and drops off over a couple of weeks.Bowel cancer surgery (Surgical resection for colorectal (bowel) cancer)An operation to remove the part of the bowel containing a cancer, along with nearby lymph nodes, usually as part of a wider treatment plan agreed by a specialist team.Colostomy formationAn operation that brings part of the large bowel (colon) out through an opening on the tummy, so waste passes into a pouch instead of through the back passage.Diverticular disease surgery (Surgical resection for diverticular disease (most often sigmoid colectomy))An operation to remove the diseased part of the large bowel (usually the sigmoid colon) when diverticular disease causes serious or repeated problems that other treatments cannot control.Haemorrhoidal artery ligation (HALO) (Haemorrhoidal artery ligation)A procedure that uses stitches to tie off the small arteries supplying the haemorrhoids (piles), reducing their blood flow so they shrink, sometimes with the haemorrhoid also stitched back into place.Ileal pouch surgery (Ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA))An operation that makes an internal pouch from the small bowel and joins it to the back passage, so you can pass stool normally after the large bowel has been removed.Ileostomy formationAn operation that brings the end of the small bowel (ileum) out through an opening on the tummy, so waste passes into a pouch instead of through the back passage.Keyhole (laparoscopic) bowel surgery (Laparoscopic colorectal resection (minimally invasive bowel surgery))An approach to bowel surgery that uses several small cuts, a camera and instruments, instead of one large cut, to remove or repair part of the bowel — often with less pain and a quicker recovery than open surgery.Lateral sphincterotomy (Lateral internal sphincterotomy)A short operation to heal a long-standing anal fissure by making a small, deliberate cut in part of the tight inner muscle of the anus to release its spasm and improve the tear's blood supply.Left hemicolectomy (Left hemicolectomy (removal of the left side of the colon))An operation to remove the left side of the large bowel — usually for a cancer, diverticular disease or a large polyp — and join the remaining bowel back together, sometimes with a temporary stoma.Polyp removal (polypectomy) (Polypectomy (removal of bowel polyps), usually at colonoscopy)Removal of small growths (polyps) from the lining of the bowel, usually during a colonoscopy, both to check them for abnormal or cancerous cells and to lower the future risk of bowel cancer.Rectal prolapse repair (rectopexy) (Rectopexy / rectal prolapse repair)An operation to fix a rectal prolapse, where the rectum (back passage) slips down and turns inside out, either through the tummy (rectopexy) or through the back passage (perineal repair).Right hemicolectomy (Right hemicolectomy (removal of the right side of the colon))An operation to remove the right side of the large bowel — usually for a cancer, large polyp or other disease — and join the remaining bowel back together.Sigmoid colectomy (removing the lower colon) (Sigmoid colectomy)An operation to remove the sigmoid colon (the last bend of the large bowel before the rectum), usually for diverticular disease or a cancer, then join the bowel back together.Stapled transanal rectal resection (STARR)A stapling operation done through the back passage to remove a section of the lower rectum, used for difficulty emptying the bowel (obstructed defaecation) caused by a rectocele or internal prolapse.Stoma reversal (Stoma reversal (ileostomy or colostomy closure))An operation to close a temporary stoma and rejoin the bowel, so waste can once again pass through the back passage.Total colectomy (removing the large bowel) (Total colectomy)An operation to remove all or most of the large bowel (colon), used for conditions such as severe ulcerative colitis, some inherited polyp conditions or certain cancers.
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