What is Colectomy?
A colectomy is an operation to remove part or all of the colon, which forms the largest part of the large bowel. It can be used to treat a range of conditions, including bowel cancer, diverticular disease, bowel obstruction and severe inflammatory bowel disease.
There are different types of colectomy depending on which part of the colon needs to be removed. A partial colectomy removes a section of the colon, while a total colectomy removes the entire colon. A Hemicolectomy involves removing either the right or left side of the colon, while a sigmoid colectomy removes part or all of the sigmoid colon.
During a bowel resection, your surgeon removes the diseased or damaged section of the colon. Where possible, the healthy ends of the bowel are then joined together, known as an anastomosis. In some cases, an ileostomy or colostomy may be required, which may be temporary or permanent depending on your individual circumstances.
Colectomy can be performed using traditional open surgery or minimally invasive techniques, including laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery. Your consultant will recommend the most appropriate approach based on your condition, general health and the part of your bowel being treated.
Why choose St John & St Elizabeth Hospital for your robotic bowel surgery?
At St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, we understand that looking for the right hospital and consultant for your colorectal surgery can be daunting. We are specialists in colorectal care, advanced robotic technology and personalised treatment in the heart of St John’s Wood, London and our caring support team will be with you every step of the way.
- Specialist colorectal surgeons: Your care is led by an experienced consultant colorectal surgeon, with treatment tailored to your condition, symptoms and individual needs.
- Advanced robotic technology: Our da Vinci Xi surgical system provides enhanced 3D visualisation and highly manoeuvrable instruments to support precise, minimally invasive bowel surgery.
- Consultant-led care: Your consultant remains in control throughout your robotic colectomy and oversees your care from your initial consultation through to recovery.
- Personalised treatment: Your surgeon will assess the type and location of your bowel condition and discuss whether robotic bowel surgery is the most appropriate approach for you.
- Private hospital care in London: Receive your treatment in our independent hospital in St John’s Wood, with specialist teams supporting you throughout your stay and recovery.
- Supporting St John’s Hospice: As a charitable hospital, any surplus we make is used to support our on-site hospice, which provides free palliative care to thousands of patients and their families each year.
Consultants offering robotic colectomy in London
Robotically-assisted Colectomy using the da Vinci Xi surgical system
At St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, robotically-assisted bowel surgery can be performed using the advanced da Vinci Xi surgical system. The system does not perform the operation independently; your consultant surgeon remains in control throughout, operating the robotic instruments from a nearby console in the operating theatre.
The da Vinci Xi provides a highly magnified, three-dimensional view of the surgical area. Its small, wristed instruments translate your surgeon’s hand movements into precise movements inside the body, providing a greater range of motion than conventional straight laparoscopic instruments.
During a robotically-assisted colectomy, your surgeon uses these instruments to carefully remove the affected section of the colon and, where appropriate, reconnect the remaining healthy bowel. This enables robotic bowel resection to be performed through small incisions and may offer benefits such as smaller scars, less postoperative pain and a quicker recovery compared with traditional open surgery.
Robotically-assisted colectomy will not be appropriate for every patient or bowel condition. Your colorectal surgeon will discuss the options available and recommend the surgical approach they consider most appropriate for you.
Robotic bowel surgery at St John & St Elizabeth Hospital
At St John & St Elizabeth Hospital, robotic colorectal surgery is performed by specialist consultant surgeons using advanced surgical technology. If you require a colectomy, your consultant will carefully assess your condition and recommend the most appropriate type of surgery based on your diagnosis and individual needs.
For suitable patients, a robotic colectomy allows the affected section of the colon to be removed using a minimally invasive approach. Rather than making one large abdominal incision, your surgeon operates through several small incisions using a camera and specialised robotic instruments. Where appropriate, the remaining healthy sections of bowel are then reconnected.
As with any major bowel operation, there are potential risks and complications, including bleeding, infection, blood clots, injury to nearby organs and a leak from the area where the bowel has been reconnected. Your consultant will explain the potential benefits and risks of your recommended procedure before surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions about robotic colectomy
A robotic colectomy is performed under general anaesthetic, so you will be asleep during the operation. Your surgeon makes several small incisions in your abdomen through which a camera and robotic surgical instruments are inserted.
Using the da Vinci Xi surgical system, your surgeon carefully separates the affected section of colon from the surrounding tissues before removing it. Where possible, the healthy sections of bowel are then joined together. The exact procedure will depend on which part of your colon needs to be removed and the condition being treated.
A colectomy is a type of bowel resection that specifically involves removing part or all of the colon. The term bowel resection can also refer more broadly to surgery that removes a section of the small or large bowel.
Your consultant will explain exactly which section of your bowel needs to be removed and the type of operation you require.
A colectomy may be recommended for several conditions affecting the colon, including bowel cancer, diverticular disease, bowel obstruction and severe inflammatory bowel disease.
Whether robotic colorectal surgery is appropriate will depend on your diagnosis, the location and extent of the affected bowel and your general health.
Robotic colectomy allows your surgeon to perform bowel surgery through several small incisions rather than the larger abdominal incision used for traditional open surgery.
The da Vinci Xi also provides your surgeon with a magnified 3D view of the surgical area and highly manoeuvrable instruments. The minimally invasive approach may offer benefits such as smaller scars, less postoperative pain and a quicker recovery compared with open surgery, although this varies between patients.
No. The da Vinci Xi surgical system does not operate independently or make decisions during your procedure.
Your consultant surgeon performs the operation from a console in the operating theatre. The system translates their hand movements into precise movements of the surgical instruments inside your body.
The length of your hospital stay depends on the type and extent of your surgery, your general health and how quickly your bowel begins functioning normally again.
Your clinical team will monitor your recovery, including your bowel function and your ability to eat, drink and move around comfortably, before you are discharged.
Recovery varies from person to person and depends on the extent of your operation and your general health. Although robotic surgery uses a minimally invasive approach, a colectomy remains major abdominal surgery and your body needs time to recover.
Your clinical team will provide personalised guidance on diet, physical activity, wound care, driving and returning to work following your procedure.
Your bowel needs time to recover after surgery. You may initially be advised to eat foods that are easier to digest before gradually returning to a more normal diet.
Your clinical team will give you specific dietary advice based on the type of colectomy you have had and how your bowel is functioning after surgery.
All major surgery carries potential risks. Complications associated with colectomy can include bleeding, infection, blood clots and injury to surrounding organs. If sections of your bowel have been joined together, there is also a risk of leakage or narrowing at the join.
There are also risks associated with robotic and minimally invasive surgery, including the possibility that your surgeon may need to convert to an open procedure. Your consultant will discuss your individual risks and the expected benefits of surgery with you before you decide whether to proceed.
No. Robotic colectomy is one of several approaches to bowel resection surgery and will not be suitable for every patient.
Your colorectal surgeon will consider your diagnosis, the location and extent of the affected bowel, your previous operations and your general health before recommending the most appropriate surgical approach.