Your surgeon might remove the part of the colon containing cancer. This is called a colectomy. Surgery to remove the whole of the large bowel (colon) is called a total colectomy.

Most people have surgery for large bowel (colon cancer) that hasn't spread. Your type of operation depends on where the cancer is in the bowel.

Types of surgery There are different types of surgery for colon cancer. The operation that is most suitable for you depends on: where your cancer is the type and size of your cancer whether your …

After surgery for colon cancer How you feel after your bowel (colon) cancer operation depends on what type of surgery you have. You usually have a drip into your arm to give you fluids until you are eating …

Problems after surgery for colon cancer There is a risk of problems or complications after any operation including colon cancer surgery. A complication is anything that happens after surgery that makes …

Having a colostomy for colon cancer A colostomy is an operation to create an opening (stoma) of the large bowel (colon) onto the surface of the tummy. After this your poo passes through the colostomy …

Bowel changes after treatment Treatment for bowel cancer (colon and rectum) can cause changes to your bowel. These can include how often you poo, how urgently you need to go, and difficulty …

Jan 24, 2025 · Before your operation for colon cancer Before surgery, you have tests to check your fitness and you meet members of your treatment team. You usually go into hospital on the morning …

Chemotherapy for colon cancer You might have chemotherapy before or after surgery for colon cancer. Common chemotherapy drugs for bowel cancer used before or after surgery are fluorouracil, …

Surgery to the large bowel (colon) is different to rectal cancer surgery. Go to our information on surgery for colon cancer Treatment decisions Your healthcare team uses your MRI scan results to help plan …