Rectal Cancer Surgery
Local or Transanal Resection: Using a special scope to see the tumor, an excision of the tumor is done with removal of a normal rim of nearby tissue. No assessment of lymph nodes is possible through this surgical route. Therefore, this procedure is reserved for very small tumors or patients who have a tumor in a very low part of the rectum and cannot tolerate a more extensive procedure.
Low Anterior Resection (LAR): Rectal tumors that are located in the middle or upper portion of the rectum are treated by this procedure. As with colon lesions, the area of tumor involving the rectum is removed with a surrounding portion of healthy rectum. The colon from above the removed area is brought down into the pelvis and connected to the remaining rectum. A temporary ileostomy often is created by taking a loop of the small intestine and sewing it to the surface of the abdomen to create an opening. Fecal matter is routed towards this opening and collected in an ileostomy bag which the patient empties. This allows the surgical area to heal without infection two to four. After an x-ray test is done to make sure the area has healed correctly, a second smaller operation closes the ileostomy. This second operation will usually be done somewhere between 2-4 months after the LAR occurs, depending on how each individual person heals. The patient then resumes normal bowel function.
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Low anterior resection for rectal |
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Abdominoperineal Resection: This procedure is provided for patients that have rectal cancers that are low in the rectum. Typically, in this situation, the entire rectum is removed. In this surgery, there is no tissue available to reconnect the bowel, so a portion of normal colon is sewn to the surface of the abdomen, which creates an opening called a colostomy. Fecal material is routed through the colostomy and collected in a bag which covers the opening.
Depending on the stage of the cancer, some individuals will need one or more of these kinds of surgeries combined with chemotherapy and/or radiation. A combination of these treatments can help lower the risk of cancer recurrence and increase the chances of survival.
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Abdominoperineal resection |
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