During minimally invasive colon surgery, the surgeon makes a series of small incisions, typically one quarter of an inch to four inches, in your abdomen. A small video camera, or “scope,” is placed in one of the incisions, providing the surgeon with a magnified view of your internal organs on a television monitor. Surgical instruments are placed in the other incisions, allowing the surgeon to work inside and remove portions of the diseased colon. This surgical technique also can be used to treat other diseases of the colon, such as Crohn’s disease and diverticulitis.

Minimally invasive colon surgery offers many benefits over traditional “open” surgery. These benefits include:⁸

• Shorter hospital stay

• Less pain

• Less scarring

• Quicker recovery time⁸

*Data gathered at three years post-surgery

To understand the benefits of minimally invasive colon surgery compared to open surgery for colon disease, see the diagrams below comparing open surgery with minimally invasive colon surgery for colon cancer.

The diagrams below show incision comparisons between open surgery and minimally invasive colon surgery.

skin incision: 6-12 inches

skin incision: 3-4 inches

Factors that could prevent a patient from undergoing minimally invasive colon surgery for colon cancer include obesity, prior abdominal surgery, dense scar tissue, bleeding problems during the procedure, and/or the surgeon's inability to visualize the organs.

Find out about the experiences of Holly, Horace, and other people with colon cancer. See why they chose minimally invasive colon surgery, and how it worked for them. Read their success stories and view Holly’s video and Horace’s video to see why they chose minimally invasive colon surgery for colon cancer.

If you’re considering minimally invasive colon surgery, you should consult a surgeon experienced in minimally invasive colon surgery techniques who has performed at least 20 minimally invasive colon surgery colon resections.⁸ Locate a surgeon in your area who has training and experience in minimally invasive colon surgery for colon cancer. Use this page to find a surgeon.

While finding a surgeon trained in minimally invasive colon surgery is important, finding the right surgeon for you is even more important. To help you determine a surgeon’s qualifications for performing minimally invasive colon surgery, use this list of questions to ask your surgeon.

Minimally invasive colon surgery for colon disease has been studied by surgeons and other healthcare professionals to see if it offers benefits over traditional open surgery. Take a minute to find out what the experts’ views are on minimally invasive colon surgery for colon disease.