Colorectal/Colon Surgery
Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgery Options
Colorectal surgery focuses on treating disorders of the colon, rectum, and anus. At CHRIAS, colorectal surgery is commonly performed using minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopic surgery or robotic surgery.
General surgeons specializing in colorectal surgery, often referred to as colorectal surgeons or proctologists, complete a fellowship before becoming certified in their field.
Board-certified general surgeon, Dr. Sachin Vaid, specializes in minimally invasive laparoscopic or robotic colorectal surgery. His training included attendance at Maulana Azad Medical College in India and the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, before he completed his residency at York Hospital in York and a colorectal fellowship at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA.
General surgeons at CHRIAS are some of the top professionals in the state of Delaware and provide extensive experience treating colorectal issues.
The CHRIAS team specializes in several types of colorectal surgery treatments, including:
- Colonoscopies
- Colonoscopy screenings
- Bowel incontinence
- Anal fissures
- Colorectal cancer
- Diverticular disease
- Hemorrhoids
- Inflammatory bowel disease including Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis
- Bowel incontinence- Insertion of Sacral Nerve Stimulator
- Fistulas
- Rectal abscess
- Anal warts
- Anal cancer
- TAMIS (Trans Anal Minimally Invasive Surgery) for rectal tumors
Patients undergoing colon surgery often face a long and difficult recovery because the traditional “open” procedures are highly invasive. In most cases, surgeons are required to make a long incision. Surgery results in an average hospital stay of a week or more and usually 6 weeks of recovery.
The surgeons at CHRIAS typically perform this procedure using minimally invasive techniques instead. The laparoscopic technique allows surgeons to perform many common colon procedures through small incisions. Depending on the type of procedure, patients may leave the hospital in a few days and return to normal activities more quickly than patients recovering from open surgery.
Laparoscopic colectomy is an alternative to open colectomy for curable cancer. When performed by experienced surgeons, laparoscopic colectomy survival results are comparable to those of open colectomy. These equivalent outcomes are the result of adherence to standard cancer resection techniques, including but not limited to complete exploration of the abdomen, adequate proximal and distal margins, ligation of the major vessels at their respective origins, containment and careful tissue handling, and en bloc resection with negative tumor margins when using the laparoscopic approach.
Although laparoscopic colon resection has many benefits, it may not be appropriate for some patients. Obtain a thorough medical evaluation by a surgeon qualified in laparoscopic colon resection in consultation with your primary care physician to find out if the technique is appropriate for you.
Rather than one large incision, laparoscopic surgery typically requires several small incisions, about 0.5-1.5 cm in size. During surgery, thin surgical instruments and a narrow camera are inserted through the incisions. The surgeon is able to perform the surgery by viewing the operative site on a video monitor. Laparoscopic surgery commonly results in less pain and scarring, as well as faster healing and recovery, than traditional open surgery. It is still considered a major surgery and requires general anesthesia.
Robotically-assisted surgery, or computer-assisted surgery, provides support for surgeons during a procedure. Surgeons often have increased control over surgical instruments and improved visibility over the surgical location, which can result in smaller incision sites, shorter hospital stays, reduced pain, and faster recovery after robotic surgery at CHRIAS. During robotic-assisted surgery, Dr. Vaid or one of our board-certified surgeons will either use telemanipulation, which follows the movement of the surgeon’s arm to guide the robotic arm, or they will perform the surgery through the computer, using computer-controlled surgery.
Occasionally, open surgery may be required for colorectal surgery. Your surgeon may recommend open surgery before the procedure, or they may decide to perform open surgery during the operation, if they feel it is safer. You may require open surgery if you have had prior abdominal surgery, if the surgeon cannot visualize organs, or if there are bleeding issues during the operation. Changing to open surgery during a laparoscopy surgery is not a result of complications, it is a decision based on patient safety.
Colorectal Surgery Procedures