How Crohn's Disease Surgery Works
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Most are minimally invasive, meaning the doctor makes a small incision in your belly. The surgeon uses a laparoscope, a thin tube with a small light and video camera at one end. The type of surgery you'll have will depend on where the problem is and how severe your symptoms are.
If an area of your small intestine has narrowed, it can form a stricture. To fix this, your surgeon may perform strictureplasty by cutting the length of the area and stitching it up cross-ways to widen that section of your intestine. Another kind of procedure is a small or large bowel resection, where a segment or segments of damaged intestine are taken out and the remaining ends are joined together.
In some cases, your entire colon may need to be removed. This is called a colectomy. If both colon and rectum are taken out, it's called a proctocolectomy. If your colon is removed by itself, your surgeon may connect your small intestine directly to your rectum. It won't cure your Crohn's disease, but it can help to treat severe symptoms and help your quality of life.
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Crohn's disease is a lifelong condition that causes chronic inflammation and damage in your digestive tract. It can lead to cramping, diarrhea, bleeding, and fatigue. If medications aren't doing enough, or you have complications, you may need surgery. Most are minimally invasive, meaning the doctor makes a small incision in your belly. The surgeon uses a laparoscope, a thin tube with a small light and video camera at one end. The type of surgery you'll have will depend on where the problem is and how severe your symptoms are.
If an area of your small intestine has narrowed, it can form a stricture. To fix this, your surgeon may perform strictureplasty by cutting the length of the area and stitching it up cross-ways to widen that section of your intestine. Another kind of procedure is a small or large bowel resection, where a segment or segments of damaged intestine are taken out and the remaining ends are joined together.
In some cases, your entire colon may need to be removed. This is called a colectomy. If both colon and rectum are taken out, it's called a proctocolectomy. If your colon is removed by itself, your surgeon may connect your small intestine directly to your rectum. It won't cure your Crohn's disease, but it can help to treat severe symptoms and help your quality of life.
