Part of your digestive system, your colon absorbs water and nutrients from the foods and liquids you digest. This process helps turn your digested materials into stool, which then moves through the large intestine and passes out of your body. When a colon becomes diseased, it can be because of cancer, polyps, diverticulitis or ulcerative colitis.

At Florida Hospital Celebration Health, we utilize a highly advanced minimally invasive procedure called a laparoscopic colon resection to remove the diseased sections of the colon. In the past, colon issues required open surgery which included a lengthy hospital stay - up to six weeks - to allow for recovery.

In a laparoscopic colon resection, surgeons at Florida Hospital Celebration Health use a laparoscope that is inserted into small incisions. One instrument has a tiny camera that feeds video images of the region. Other surgical instruments are then guided into place and the resection is performed. The healthy parts of the colon are then reconnected in a procedure known as end-to-end anastomosis. The minimally invasive surgery causes less pain, less bleeding and fewer complications than older surgical methods. Plus, you can leave the hospital in a matter of days and return to work in two to three weeks.

Click here to learn more about colorectal surgery at Celebration Health.