Bowel cutting surgery is surgery to remove part of the intestine, including the small intestine, large intestine, or end part of the intestine (rectum). Intestinal surgery is usually performed to treat abnormalities or blockages in the intestines.
In bowel resection surgery (bowel resection), the doctor will remove the problematic part of the intestine, then attach the healthy part of the intestine. In certain conditions, the doctor may also perform a stoma if the healthy intestine is not good enough to be connected to the rectum.
In making a stoma, the doctor will make a hole in the abdominal wall and attach the end of the intestine to the hole. This hole will be connected with a replaceable dirt collection bag. The goal is that feces or feces that pass through the intestines will come out through the stoma into the bag, not through the rectum.
When Is Intestinal Surgery Needed?
The following are conditions that can be treated with bowel excision surgery:
1. Bowel cancer
The length of the intestine being excised depends on the size and location of the colon cancer or colorectal cancer. The doctor may also remove lymph nodes around the colon that are affected by cancer.
2. Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is an infection of the small pouches (diverticulum) along the digestive tract. Intestinal surgery is necessary if the infection is severe enough or if the pouches rupture.
3. Bowel blockage
If there is a blockage of the intestine, then the swallowed food cannot pass through the intestine and cannot be excreted as feces through the rectum. In addition, blood flow in the blocked part of the intestine can also be disrupted, resulting in tissue death in the intestine.
Intestinal excision is necessary in this condition to re-launch the flow of food and blood flow to the intestines.
4. Severe intestinal bleeding
If there is bleeding from the intestines that cannot be stopped with medication, surgical removal of the intestine may be required to treat it.
How is the Intestinal Excision Surgery Procedure Performed?
You will be given general anesthesia before the operation begins. The goal is to put you to sleep and not feel pain during the operation.
Intestinal cutting surgery procedure can be done in 2 ways, namely open surgery and laparoscopy. In open surgery, the doctor will make a wide incision in the abdomen to see the condition of the intestine directly.
While in laparoscopic surgery, surgery is done by making several small incisions in the abdomen. After that, special surgical equipment with a small camera will be inserted through the incision hole, and the doctor will perform the operation guided by the image captured by the camera.
In bowel excision surgery, the disturbed or damaged intestine is removed. The remaining healthy intestine will be connected and sutured. This process is known as intestinal splicing. If needed, the doctor will also perform a stoma.
What are the preparations for bowel excision surgery?
Intestinal surgery is performed under general anesthesia so you are not allowed to eat or drink for about 8 hours before the anesthetic is administered. However, if the operation is performed in an emergency, fasting before anesthesia may not be performed.
Before surgery, it is important to tell your doctor about any medications you are currently taking, including supplements and herbal remedies. The reason is, certain drugs can cause problems during surgery.
For example, blood-thinning medications can cause excessive bleeding during surgery. Therefore, blood thinning drugs need to be discontinued a few days before surgery.
If bowel excision surgery is planned and is not an emergency, you will need to avoid secondhand smoke a few days before the operation. You are also advised to eat high-fiber foods and drink enough water for a few days before surgery.
The doctor will tell you what preparations need to be made before the operation, including the use of laxatives or fasting by drinking only water, clear juices, or broth.
Some time before the operation, you will need to change into hospital clothes. The nurse will put an IV into your vein so you can receive the fluids and medications you need during and after surgery.
After that, you will be taken to the operating room and transferred to the operating table. A urinary catheter will be inserted into the urinary tract to collect urine. Your doctor may also place a probe through your nose into your stomach to drain fluid from your stomach.
What are the Risks of Intestinal Excision Surgery?
The following are some of the risks that can occur as a result of undergoing bowel excision surgery:
1. Infection
Your surgical wound can become infected, especially if the surgical wound is not properly cared for. You can also have an infection in your lungs (pneumonia) or your urinary tract.
2. Organ injury
During surgery, healthy intestinal tissue, bladder, or blood vessels near the intestines may be injured and damaged.
3. Bowel leak
If the intestinal connection does not heal properly or becomes infected, the intestine can leak. This condition can lead to dangerous and life-threatening infections. Call your doctor right away if you experience abdominal pain, fever, or a fast heart rate after cutting and reattaching your intestines.
4. Hernia in the abdominal surgery scar
This condition, called an incisional hernia, can occur because the surgical wound on the abdominal wall does not heal completely, leaving a hole that allows the organs in the abdomen to protrude through the hole.
In essence, bowel excision surgery is a medical procedure that aims to treat intestinal blockages or abnormalities in the intestines, such as bowel cancer, diverticulitis, or severe intestinal bleeding.
Therefore, if you experience symptoms of these conditions, immediately consult a doctor so that he can be given treatment as soon as possible. That way, the chance of recovery will also be greater.
Written by:
dr. Sonny Seputra, M.Ked.Klin, Sp.B, FINACS
(Surgeon Specialist)
