Surgical methods

Surgery is considered the most common treatment for early stage or resectable (removable) colorectal cancers.

Your doctors will evaluate which type of surgery is best for you, depending on the extent of the tumor and where it is located.

The three main types of surgery for colorectal cancer are

• Open procedures
• Minimally invasive procedures which include:
  • Laparoscopic surgery
  • Robotic-assisted surgery

In minimally invasive surgery, surgeons make several small incisions in the abdomen and then use specific surgical tools to operate through the incisions.

Minimally invasive surgery in linked to:

• less pain
• shorter hospital stays
• fewer complications

With open surgery, the surgeon makes a single long incision into the abdomen.

Patients who have open surgery may take longer to recover, due to the larger incision.

Open surgery may be recommended for patients with:

• Large tumors
• Cancer that has spread
• Certain medical conditions
• A high body mass index (BMI) or obesity