Colostomy-Sparing Surgery

Overview

When the entire colon or the rectum needs to be removed because of certain disease processes, surgeons generally perform a colostomy to create an opening (a stoma) in the skin to allow waste to exit the body for collection in an external bag. Mayo Clinic surgeons are world leaders in using two procedures to avert the need for the external bag.

Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis

The ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) procedure involves removal of the entire colon and rectum, with preservation of the anus and sphincter muscles. Mayo Clinic has performed more than 2,000 of these procedures. Read more about IPAA.

Sphincter-Sparing Surgery

For some patients who have rectal cancers very close to the anal opening, Mayo Clinic surgeons are able to remove the cancer while preserving the function of the sphincter and the normal route for passing a bowel movement. Frequently, we are able to perform this operation using a laparoscopic approach.

Often this procedure requires a temporary ileostomy (opening in the front of the abdomen) to allow the reconstructed colon to heal after the diseased portion has been removed. A few months later, the ileostomy is removed at a second surgery and the patient returns to passing bowel movements through their anus.

Colostomy-sparing surgery is used to treat colon cancer, rectal cancer and other conditions that require colon surgery.