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Colon Resection

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ID: ANH00020
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: Your surgeon will perform a colon resection, which is the removal of part of your large intestine, if you have colorectal cancer or a number of other conditions. The colon is a long muscular tube located at the end of the intestinal tract. After the stomach and small intestine digest food, the remaining material passes through the colon, where water and electrolytes are absorbed. The residual stool passes into the last six inches of the colon, known as the rectum, where it is stored until released. Most of the conditions that are treated by colon resection occur in the layer of cells that cover the inside surface of the colon, known as the mucosal lining. Colon resection is usually performed to treat colorectal cancer, one of the most common cancers. Other conditions it is used to treat include blockage of the intestine, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, trauma to the intestine, colon polyps, especially when numerous and large, complications of diverticulitis, and ischemic bowel. Before the surgery you'll be given general anesthesia to put you to sleep for the duration of the operation. A breathing tube will be inserted through your mouth and into your windpipe to help you breathe. Your surgeon will begin by making an incision in your abdomen over the part of the colon that needs to be removed. Your surgeon will clamp your colon in two places, on each side of the section to be removed. He or she will cut through the colon at each clamp and remove the diseased portion in between, along with a margin of healthy colon and surrounding tissue. Finally, your surgeon will sew the two loose ends of the colon together. After your surgeon has completed the procedure, he or she will insert one or two drains to collect fluid that may accumulate around the surgery site, close the wound with sutures or staples, and cover it with bandages. After your procedure, you'll be taken to the recovery area for close observation and will be given antibiotics and pain medications, as necessary. You will receive fluids and nutrition through an IV, then gradually progress from a liquid to a solid diet over several days. You will be encouraged to get out of bed and move about as soon as possible.

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