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So the type of surgery you have performed will really be based on where your tumor is located. This could mean a right collectomy, which is the right side of the colon where the small bowel meets the colon. This could mean the transverse colon, which is the part of the colon that goes across your abdomen. Or then we talk about the left side of the colon, which is a little bit longer. On the left side we have the descending, the sigmoid colon, and then down the last 15 or so centimeters is the rectum. Again, rectal cancers are treated a little bit differently than colon cancers, especially with their location. Where the tumor is located will determine the resection because we need to determine the lymph nodes that need to be removed at the time of surgery. And the lymph nodes come along with the arteries to the colon. And so we need to follow these arteries when we’re determining the resection sites. But again, for colon cancers, we are often able to remove that section and then reconnect without the need for a colostomy.
