A colostomy can be temporary or permanent and can be in any portion of the large intestine depending upon the cause for the surgery. The types of colostomies are usually identified by the location of the stoma: ascending, transverse, descending/sigmoid.

Colectomy is a surgical procedure to remove all or part of your colon. Your colon, also called your large intestine, is a long tube-like organ at the end of your digestive system. Colectomy may be necessary to treat or prevent diseases and conditions that affect your colon.

There are various types of colectomy operations:

• Total colectomy involves removing the entire colon.
• Partial colectomy involves removing part of the colon and may also be called subtotal colectomy.
• Hemicolectomy involves removing the right or left portion of the colon.
• Proctocolectomy involves removing both the colon and rectum.

Colectomy surgery usually requires other procedures to reattach the remaining portions of your digestive system and permit waste to leave your body.

Colectomy is used to treat and prevent diseases and conditions that affect the colon, such as:

Bleeding that can't be controlled. Severe bleeding from the colon may require surgery to remove the affected portion of the colon.

Bowel obstruction. A blocked colon is an emergency that may require total or partial colectomy, depending on the situation.

Colon cancer.Early-stage cancers may require only a small section of the colon to be removed during colectomy. Cancers at a later stage may require more of the colon to be removed.

Crohn's disease. If medications aren't helping you, removing the affected part of your colon may offer temporary relief from signs and symptoms. Colectomy may also be an option if precancerous changes are found during a test to examine the colon (colonoscopy).

Ulcerative colitis. Your doctor may recommend total colectomy if medications aren't helping to control your signs and symptoms. Colectomy may also be an option if precancerous changes are found during a colonoscopy.

Diverticulitis. Your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the affected portion of the colon if your diverticulitis recurs or if you experience complications of diverticulitis.

Preventive surgery. If you have a very high risk of colon cancer due to the formation of multiple precancerous colon polyps, you may choose to undergo total colectomy to prevent cancer in the future. Colectomy may be an option for people with inherited genetic conditions that increase colon cancer risk, such as familial adenomatous polyposis or Lynch syndrome.

One type of surgery done for cancer of the rectum is a anterior resection. Resection in this case means removal by surgery. Anterior means it takes place on the front side of the body.The part of the rectum containing the tumor is removed without affecting the anus.

This is an operation to remove all of the rectum and anus. It is most usually performed for patients with rectal cancer. Many patients with rectal cancer will have radiotherapy before the operation.

It may also be performed for patients who have had anal cancer which has not responded to, or recurred after, chemo-radiotherapy.

Hartmann's operation or Hartmann's procedure is the surgical resection of the rectosigmoid colon with closure of the rectal stump and formation of an end colostomy. It was used to treat colon cancer or diverticulitis. Currently its use is limited to emergency surgery when immediate anastomosis is not possible, or more rarely it is used palliatively in patients with colorectal tumours.

Rectal prolapse surgery is a procedure to repair rectal prolapse. Rectal prolapse occurs when the last several inches of the large intestine (the rectum) becomes abnormally stretched and protrudes from the anus. Rectal prolapse surgery moves the rectum back to its proper place.

There are a number of ways to do rectal prolapse surgery. Your surgeon will suggest the appropriate one for you based on your condition and your overall health. Rectal prolapse surgery requires anesthesia and a hospital stay of one to several days.

Rectal prolapse surgery is performed in people troubled by chronic symptoms, including difficulty pushing the rectum back in place, leakage of stool or inability to control bowel movements (fecal incontinence), or obstructed bowel movements. The problem is most common in elderly women.

For occasional rectal prolapse, self-care measures may help For some people, minor rectal prolapse occurs occasionally when they strain to have a bowel movement. In these people, rectal prolapse may go away on its own. Rectal prolapse may be prevented by eating a high-fiber diet, drinking plenty of liquids, and taking laxatives, stool softeners and stool-bulking agents.

Your small intestines are very important for maintaining good health. Also called the small bowel, they absorb nutrients and fluid that you eat or drink. They also deliver waste products to the large intestine. Problems with function can put your health at risk.

If you have intestinal blockages or other bowel diseases, you may need surgery to remove a damaged section of your small intestines. This is called small bowel resection

A variety of conditions can damage your small bowel. In severe cases, your doctor may recommend having part of your small bowel removed. Conditions that might require surgery include:

• bleeding, infection, or serious ulcers in the small intestine
• blockage in the intestines, either congenital (present at birth) or from scar tissue
• noncancerous tumors
• precancerous polyps
• cancer
• injuries to the small intestine
• Meckel’s diverticulum (a pouch of intestine present at birth)

An anal fissure

An anal fissure is a small tear in the thin, moist tissue (mucosa) that lines the anus. An anal fissure may occur when you pass hard or large stools during a bowel movement. Anal fissures typically cause pain and bleeding with bowel movements. You also may experience spasms in the ring of muscle at the end of your anus (anal sphincter).

Anal fissures are very common in young infants but can affect people of any age. An anal fissure usually heals on its own within four to six weeks. If it doesn't, medical treatment or surgery usually can relieve discomfort.

fistula

An anal fistula is a small channel that can develop between the end of the bowel and the skin near the anus. An anal fistula can cause bleeding and discharge when passing stools - and can be painful. An anal fistula can occur after surgery to drain an anal abscess. In some cases, an anal fistula causes persistent drainage. In other cases, where the outside of the channel opening closes, the result may be recurrent anal abscesses. The only cure for an anal fistula is surgery.

What is Haemorrhoids (piles)?

Haemorrhoids are swollen blood vessels in or around the anus and rectum. The haemorrhoidal veins are located in the lowest part of the rectum and the anus. Sometimes they swell so that the vein walls become stretched, thin, and irritated by passing bowel movements. Haemorrhoids are classified into two general categories: internal and external.

Internal haemorrhoids lie far enough inside the rectum that you can't see or feel them. They don't usually hurt because there are few pain-sensing nerves in the rectum. Bleeding may be the only sign that they are there. Sometimes internal haemorrhoids prolapse, or enlarge and protrude outside the anal sphincter. If so, you may be able to see or feel them as moist, pink pads of skin that are pinker than the surrounding area. Prolapsed haemorrhoids may hurt because they become irritated by rubbing from clothing and sitting. They usually recede into the rectum on their own; if they don't, they can be gently pushed back into place.

External haemorrhoids lie within the anus and are often uncomfortable. If an external haemorrhoid prolapses to the outside (usually in the course of passing a stool), you can see and feel it. Blood clots sometimes form within prolapsed external haemorrhoids, causing an extremely painful condition called a thrombosis. If an external haemorrhoid becomes thrombosed, it can look rather frightening, turning purple or blue, and could possibly bleed. Despite their appearance, thrombosed haemorrhoids are usually not serious and will resolve themselves in about a week. If the pain is unbearable, the thrombosed haemorrhoid can be removed with surgery, which stops the pain.

Anal bleeding and pain of any sort is alarming and should be evaluated; it can indicate a life-threatening condition, such as colorectal cancer. Haemorrhoids are the main cause of anal bleeding and are rarely dangerous, but a definite diagnosis from your doctor is essential.