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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Colectomy is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of your colon. Your colon, also called your large intestine, is a long tube-like organ at the end of your digestive system. Colectomy may be necessary to treat or prevent diseases and conditions that affect your colon.
There are various types of colectomy operations. Colectomy that involves removing the entire colon is called total colectomy. Colectomy to remove part of the colon may be called subtotal colectomy or partial colectomy. Removing the right or left portion of the colon is called hemicolectomy. Surgery to remove both the colon and rectum is called proctocolectomy.
Colectomy surgery usually requires other procedures to reattach the remaining portions of your digestive system and permit waste to leave your body.
- Patient information for laparoscopic colon resection from SAGES. Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. http://www.sages.org/publication/id/PI09/. Accessed July 6, 2010.
- Fry RD, et al. Colon and rectum. In: Townsend CM, et al. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/207919050-3/0/1565/0.html. Accessed July 6, 2010.
- Colorectal cancer surgery. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/ColonandRectumCancer/DetailedGuide/colorectal-cancer-treating-surgery. Accessed July 6, 2010.
- Steele SR. Operative management of Crohn's disease of the colon including anorectal disease. Surgical Clinics of North America. 2007;87:611.
- Metcalf AM. Elective and emergent operative management of ulcerative colitis. Surgical Clinics of North America. 2007;87:633.
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