Colon & Rectal Surgery

At BIDMC, we specialize in all types of digestive care. This care begins with diagnostic procedures such as colonoscopy, endoscopy and proctosigmoidoscopy, and our care continues throughout treatment.

For many non-cancerous conditions, medication is the first-line therapy. Surgery may become necessary later, in cases of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis for example. With cancer, surgery may be an early treatment. We make sure you get the right treatment at the right time. We make surgery a last resort when we can.

Colorectal cancer surgery is part of our larger Colon and Rectal Cancer Care program. Surgery may be only a part of your treatment plan. We provide you with comprehensive cancer care. Our goal is to ensure you have all the medical care, education and support you need.

We’re proud to offer Boston’s Spanish-speaking citizens culturally competent colorectal surgical care through our Latinx Colorectal Surgery Clinic. The clinic features bilingual staff, specialized medical interpreters and documents written in Spanish. We’ve worked to create an environment specifically focused on this community.

Before your surgery, we explain details about your procedure and what to expect with recovery. We’re happy to answer any questions you have.

Your surgeon is likely to order certain lab tests or other tests. The surgical team will explain how to prepare for your procedure. This may include when to stop eating and drinking before surgery, whether you should change how you take any medicines, and when and where to arrive for your procedure.

How long you're in the hospital will depend on the surgery you're having. In some cases, you may go home the same day, called outpatient procedures. We work with you to manage any pain you might have and to get you eating again and having bowel movements.

We also teach you everything you need to know about caring for yourself once you leave the hospital. This may include how to build up your strength and details about activities you should avoid.

Surgical Procedures We Perform

These are among the most common surgeries we perform:

• Anal fistula closure — Surgery to remove a tunnel that has formed between the anus and skin around the anus
• Colectomy — Surgery to remove all or part of your colon
• Colostomy — Surgery to create an opening for waste from the colon through the abdomen
• Hemorrhoid surgery — Surgery to remove painful, swollen veins around the anus
• Lateral internal sphincterotomy — Surgery to help a non-healing tear in the anus (fissure) improve
• Resection — Surgery to remove tissue or all or part of an organ

Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques

We specialize in these minimally invasive approaches:

• Robotic laparoscopic operations — Surgery performed through small incisions with robotic assistance for exceptional precision
• Single incision laparoscopic operations — Surgery performed through one small incision
• Standard laparoscopic operations — Surgery performed through very small incisions

These procedures typically have shorter recovery times and fewer complications than traditional, open surgery.