Colon and Rectal Surgery

Overview

Doctors in Colon and Rectal Surgery at Mayo Clinic offer the latest in diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the colon, rectum and anus.

Areas of expertise by Mayo Clinic surgeons include:

• Colon and rectal cancer and polyps
• Inflammatory bowel disease — Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
• Diverticulitis and diverticular disease
• Anal problems such as hemorrhoids, fistula and fissure
• Motility problems of the colon, such as constipation

Colon and rectal surgeons at Mayo Clinic have completed training in general surgery as well as advanced training in the treatment of colon and rectal problems.

Mayo Clinic surgeons work closely with colleagues in gastroenterology and other specialties to ensure that you receive comprehensive, innovative and supportive care.

Mayo Clinic's colorectal surgeons perform hundreds of operations each year, largely using minimally invasive (laparoscopic) techniques, including robotic surgery. Advantages of laparoscopic surgery compared to conventional surgery include less postoperative pain and scarring, shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery.

Mayo Clinic is one of the few institutions where surgeons from different specialties routinely remove tumors from different organs in the same operation (synchronous treatment). In the case of colon or rectal cancer that has spread (metastasized) to the liver — the most common site of colorectal metastasis — a colorectal surgeon and a hepatic surgeon work together to remove the cancer. This approach combines two operations into one and streamlines the treatment of patients with advanced tumors.

Mayo Clinic surgeons are active in research to find new and better ways of diagnosing and treating disease and in educating the next generation of surgeons.