Colon Surgery
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Southwest Valley Surgical Associates
Surgeons located in Goodyear, AZ
While a colostomy is often a last resort for severe medical conditions, it’s a potentially life-saving solution that allows you to live many happy and healthy years into the future. At Southwest Valley Surgical Associates, the team of general surgeons, including Dr. Rama Muddaraj, provide colostomy procedures to their patients in Goodyear, Arizona, using the latest surgical techniques for accuracy and minimal risk. If you need a colostomy, call the experts, or schedule a consultation using the online booking tool.
Colon Surgery Q & A
What is a colostomy?
A colostomy is a procedure where your surgeon makes an opening in your abdomen and attaches one end of your colon (large intestine) to it, providing an exit for waste and gas that bypasses your anus.
As well as creating a stoma (or opening), your doctor also removes the portion of your colon that’s been affected by a disease.
After your procedure, you’ll wear a bag that’s attached to the stoma to trap the waste.
A colostomy can either be permanent or temporary. Depending upon the extent of the damage to your colon, which is four or five feet long, your doctor may recommend a colostomy as a temporary measure to allow time for your colon to heal after surgery.
In cases where a disease has inflicted too much damage to your large intestine, and a large part of it had to be removed, the colostomy is permanent.
Why would I need a colostomy?
There are two main reasons why you may need a colostomy:
Colorectal cancer
If you have colorectal cancer, which can develop anywhere along your colon through your rectum, odds are your oncologist will recommend removing the affected portion.
The surgeons at Southwest Valley Surgical Associates remove what’s needed to extract the cancer, and that amount is determined by how far the cancer has spread. As well, your doctors are understandably cautious when it comes to cancer and may remove more than just the directly-affected areas to be on the safe side.
Diverticulitis
When your colon isn’t functioning correctly, small pouches (or diverticula) develop, and if they become inflamed and infected, it’s called diverticulitis.
If you suffer from diverticulitis that isn’t responsive to noninvasive measures, you can count on undergoing surgery to remove the affected portions of your colon. If your diverticulitis persists after one or more surgeries, your doctor may recommend a colostomy.
To learn more about the colostomy services at Southwest Valley Surgical Associates, call or use the online booking tool to schedule an appointment.
