Operations We Perform
The Toronto Colorectal Surgery team generally performs two types of surgery: Open (traditional) or Minimally Invasive (small incision) technique.
Read through this full page to learn more about the two different types of surgery and what goes on during either procedure type.
Open Surgery
What is it?
Open surgery is the “traditional” method of performing surgery and usually involves a large incision being made on your abdomen. It may be higher up (from your ribs to your navel) or lower down (extending below your navel to your pubic bone), depending on what operation you need. While many operations can be performed using a minimally invasive method, almost every operation can be performed using an open method.
Why have open surgery?
Because of your previous medical history or the details of your specific disease or operation, you may not be suitable for a minimally invasive method. Your surgeon will help you to decide which method is safest and most appropriate for you. Some operations are unlikely to be done using a minimally invasive method, for example when the removal of multiple organs is required. Your surgeon will help to explain this to you.
Minimally Invasive Surgery
What is it?
Minimally invasive surgery is a method of performing surgery that attempts to minimize the number and size of incisions made during the operation. Many operations can be performed using a minimally invasive method, but not everyone is suitable for this method of surgery. Minimally invasive surgery is also called “key-hole” surgery.
Why have minimally invasive surgery?
Minimally invasive surgery has a number of benefits over traditional “open” surgery. If you have minimally invasive surgery you will likely have less pain, and a shorter recovery time in hospital than you would if you had traditional “open” surgery. If you have minimally invasive surgery, you also have a lower risk of side effects after the operation than you would if you had traditional “open” surgery.
What are the types of minimally invasive surgery?
There are several different types of minimally invasive surgery, but not all types are suitable for all operations – your surgical team will help you to decide which method of performing surgery is right for you.
Laparoscopic Surgery – laparoscopic surgery, or keyhole surgery, is performed using a camera and long thin instruments inserted through small incisions in the skin. Your surgeons then perform the operation by watching the live video seen by the camera.
Single-port Surgery – single port surgery is similar to laparoscopic surgery and uses the same tools. The only difference is that in single-port surgery, all of the surgical instruments and the camera are inserted through a device at a single incision.
Robotic Surgery – like laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery uses a camera and long, thin instruments; however, in robotic surgery, these instruments are moved by a sophisticated surgical device, called a surgical robot (rather than being moved by a human surgeon). Your surgeon sits at a console near the operating table and remotely controls the movement of the camera and instruments using the robot; at no time is the robot doing any surgery on its own. Robotic surgery enables your surgeon to magnify their view during the operation and perform extremely delicate and precise tasks by translating large hand, arm, and finger movements into very fine movements of the robot’s arms.
What type of operation should I have?
Your surgeon will take a comprehensive look at your personal medical history and combine it with a thorough assessment of your disease and anatomy in order to decide what type of surgery they think is best for you.
The decision balances the need for a thorough cancer operation with the recovery benefits of a minimally invasive procedure.
What could go wrong?
Even if your surgeon decides to perform a minimally invasive surgery to treat your disease, sometimes the operation cannot be done safely without a traditional “open” method. This might be because something unexpected happened during the operation, but also may just be because the surgeon felt that the safest way to complete the operation was using a traditional “open” method.
The risk of converting from a minimally invasive method to an open method is about 1% in most people; however, certain medical conditions raise this risk. If you have previously had abdominal surgery, the risk of converting from a minimally invasive method to an open method is about 5% If you have previously had any infection or bleeding in your abdomen (e.g., diverticulitis, perforated colon), the risk can be as high as 50%.
Your surgeon will provide you with a personalized risk estimate at the time of your consultation.