Colorectal Surgery Procedures

The Colorectal Surgery Division at Newton-Wellesley Hospital offers a full range of colon and rectal surgical procedures, using open (traditional), laparoscopic or robotic surgery.

Minimally invasive and robotic surgery

During laparoscopic surgery, also known as minimally invasive surgery, thin instruments and a tiny camera are passed through tiny incisions. Robotic surgery indicates that the physician controls robotic arms that allow for greater precision.

• Abdominal Perineal Resection
• Anal Fistula Repair
• Anal Rectal Reconstruction/Sphincteroplasty
• Colectomy
• Creation of a Colostomy or Ileostomy
• Stoma Revision / Relocation / Hernia Repair
• Endoscopic Mucosal Resection
• Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection
• Illeoanal Pouch Procedure
• Proctectomy
• Stricturoplasty

The colorectal surgeons at Newton-Wellesley Hospital have special expertise in sphincter-sparing procedures, which help patients retain control of their bowel movements and help avoid the need for a colostomy (in which the large intestine is diverted through an artificial opening in the abdomen and a bag is used to collect waste).

Abdominal Perineal Resection
Abdominal perineal resection is surgery to remove the anus, rectum, and sigmoid colon in order to treat cancer that is located very low in the rectum or anus.

Anal Fistula Repair
An anal fistula is a small channel that forms between the inside of the anal canal and an outside opening in the skin near the anus, causing discomfort and pain during bowel movements. Newton-Wellesley colon and rectal surgeons offer a number of treatments for this condition, including the surgical removal of the anal fistula (fistulotomy).

Anal Rectal Reconstruction/Sphincteroplasty
Anal rectal reconstruction/sphincterplasty is performed to repair a torn sphincter (the muscle at the opening of the anus) to control bowel movements. The sphincter can become damaged during the vaginal delivery of a baby and from other conditions, resulting in fecal incontinence.

Colectomy
Colectomy is surgery to remove all or part of the colon (large intestine). It may be performed for a variety of reasons, such as colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.

Creation of a Colostomy or Ileostomy
A colostomy is surgery to connect the colon (large intestine) to the abdominal wall, while an ileostomy is surgery to connect the bottom portion of the small intestine (ileum) to the abdominal wall. The opening in the abdominal wall is called a stoma. A bag is attached to the stoma to collect waste that leaves the body.

Stoma Revision / Relocation / Hernia Repair
Occasionally after colostomy or ileostomy, the stoma may come through the weakened area of the abdominal wall. This is referred to as a hernia, and is related to factors such as placement of the initial stoma, obesity, malnutrition, age, or infection. Depending upon the degree of discomfort and dysfunction, surgical repair or relocation of the stoma itself may be needed.

Endoscopic Mucosal Resection
Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) is a procedure using a colonoscope (a narrow tube with a light and video camera) to remove early cancers such as colon polyps and colorectal cancer from the lining of the digestive tract.

Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is an advanced procedure using a narrow tube with a light and video camera to remove tumors in the gastrointestinal tract that have not entered the muscle layer. ESD may be used for large colon polyps that have minimal risk of cancer spreading.

Illeoanal Pouch Procedure
In an illeoanal pouch procedure, all of the colon and rectum is surgically removed to treat conditions such as colon cancer or ulcerative colitis.

Proctectomy
Proctectomy is surgery to remove or part of the rectum. At Newton-Wellesley, our experienced surgeons can perform this procedure using sphincter-sparing techniques to help patients retain control of their bowel movements.

Stricturoplasty
Stricturoplasty is a procedure to open a part of the intestine that has become narrowed due to inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease.

Contact Us/Appointments

For an appointment with one of our colorectal surgeons, including for second opinions:

• Call 617-219-1285 Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:30pm EST