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Robotic-Assisted Surgery for the Colon and Rectum

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If you have a condition of the colon or rectum, and medicine or lifestyle changes are not helping, your doctor may recommend surgery. Common colorectal conditions include:

  • Diverticulitis
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease)
  • Colon cancer
  • Rectal cancer

At Mercy you have options, including minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery that is performed through a few tiny incisions, rather than a large open incision.

Robotic- assisted surgery can be used to remove all or part of the colon or rectum. For both procedures a thin tube with a camera provides a high-resolution, 3D image of surgery site. The surgeon uses handheld controls to manipulate robotic arms that hold special surgical instruments inserted through other tiny incisions.

The robotic “wrists” can bend and rotate far greater than the human hand. This allows the surgeon:

  • Greater surgical precision
  • Increased range of motion
  • Enhanced views, including areas that may not be seen by the naked eye
  • Improved access to hard-to-reach areas
  • Improved ability to spare healthy tissue not impacted by cancer

Compared to traditional or other forms of minimally invasive approaches, the robotic-assisted surgery potentially benefits patients with:

  • Lower blood loss
  • Quicker return of bowel function
  • Lower rate of complications
  • Shorter hospital stay
  • Small incisions for minimal scarring

You and your doctors will discuss and determine the best option for you – one that will quickly get you back to live life to its fullest. 

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