Colectomies are done for benign or malignant diseases. Example of benign would be diverticulitis and for malignant 
colon cancer. Colectomies are usually partial and during the procedure a part of the large bowel will be removed. Depends 
on the location the patient may need a colostomy or the two end of the bowel can be put back together.

After colectomy you will stay in the hospital for 3-4 days in most of the cases. In laparoscopic procedure all the steps will be similar except there will be no big incision and the instruments will go through multiple small ports.

 What are the risks with this operation?
Leak from the anastomosis (Site where bowel sewn together) is the most important complication of this operation which 
is 5% for colon and 5-10% for rectum. Other complications includes, bleeding 1-2%, wound infection 5-10%, blood clot in 
lungs <1%, Anesthesia which will be discussed with an anesthesiologist in pre-operative visit.
 Is my bowel movement will be normal after colectomies?
It is all depends on extend of the operation and how much of the large bowel left inside. In most cases you may experience
loose bowel movement at the beginning but most individuals bowel movement will be back to normal.
 What is the stage of my colon cancer?
The cancer staging determines by TNM system. To find out the exact T and N status, the diseased part of the colon has
to be removed and send for pathologic evaluation which will take 10-14 days. The pathology result will help us with the stage 
of the cancer and the next step of treatment.
 Do I need a colostomy bag after my operation?
With any operation involves with the bowel there is a small chance of colostomy or Ileostomy (Bag from small intestine). 
The stoma most of the time is temporarily and sometimes permanent. As this is case to case is different the best time 
to discuss this is during the office visit.

If you want to read more about colectomy, you may review the following information sheets from these organizations:

CLICK on these links:

The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons

American College of Surgeons - Colectomy (English)

American College of Surgeons - Colectomy (Spanish)

American College of Surgeons - Colectomy (Italian)