Colon Cancer

Risks

Colectomy carries a risk of serious complications. Your risk of complications is based on your general health, the type of colectomy you undergo and the approach your surgeon uses to perform the operation.

In general, complications of colectomy can include:

• Bleeding
• Blood clots in the legs (deep vein thrombosis) and the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• Infection
• Injury to nearby structures, such as the bile duct, liver and small intestine
• Tears in the sutures that reconnect the remaining parts of your digestive system

Results

After surgery you'll be taken to a recovery room to be monitored as the anesthesia wears off. Then your health care team will take you to your hospital room to continue your recovery.

You'll stay in the hospital until you regain bowel function. This may take a couple of days to a week.

You may not be able to eat solid foods at first. You might receive liquid nutrition through a vein, often in your arm, and then transition to drinking clear liquids. As your intestines recover, you can eventually add solid foods.

If your surgery involved a colostomy or ileostomy to attach your intestine to the outside of your abdomen, you'll meet with an ostomy nurse who will show you how to care for your stoma. The nurse will explain how to change the ostomy bag that will collect waste.

Once you leave the hospital, expect a couple of weeks of recovery at home. You may feel weak at first, but eventually your strength will return. Ask your doctor when you can expect to get back to your normal routine.