Colon

Personally performed operations (as of 2018) : 1339
Total of performed visceral operations: over 14.000

Surgery of the colon are necessary in relation to chronic inflammations (like the so-called diverticulitis, in rarer cases the colitis ulcerosa) or mostly cancer of the colon.
The extent and the part of the colon, that is to be removed, is determined by the localisation of the tumor or the inflammation. Inflammations, which are often located in the s-colon (sigma), the standard procedure is to remove the s-colon and to create a new connection between the descending part of the colon (colon descendens) and the upper rectum. For tumors on the right side of the body, the surgeon performs a so-called right hemicolectomy, for tumors in the middle a resection of the transverse colon. Tumors in the colon descendens or the sigma require a left hemicolectomy. All of them require a corresponding connection of the preceding and following healthy segments of the colon. It is important to also remove the surrounding lymph nodes, because they can harbour malignant cells.

Possible complications

The main complication after surgery of the colon concerns the healing of the freshly connected segments. Between 3 to 4 percent of patients experience a leakage. Stool can enter the abdominal cavity and cause a live-threatening peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum). An immediate re-operation is necessary.
Apart from this, there are rare injuries of connected tissue, mainly the left or right ureter, and even rarer the duodenum or small intestine.