A colectomy is surgery to remove the colon (large intestine) to treat various medical conditions. It is the primary treatment for colorectal cancer and is often curative. A colectomy, or colon resection, may involve removing all or part of the colon, depending on the specific condition treated.

In a partial colectomy, the surgeon removes the part of the colon that contains the cancer, along with a portion (margin) of surrounding normal tissue. A “clean margin” helps assure there are no malignant cells left in the area. The remaining portion of the colon is then sewn back together. In a total colectomy, the entire colon is removed. In such cases, a colostomy is also necessary to provide the patient with an alternate way to eliminate wastes from the body.

Increasingly, laparoscopic surgery is being used to perform colectomy and other colorectal cancer treatments. It uses several small incisions in the abdomen and a long, narrow tube called a laparoscope. The laparoscope is inserted into the body cavity and surgical instruments are used to remove cancerous sections of the colon. Compared to traditional colectomy surgery, laparoscopic surgery involves smaller incisions, is less likely to cause significant scarring and may result in faster recovery with less pain.