What the operation involves
The vessels supplying the tumour-bearing segment are divided at their origin before the bowel is mobilised, the mesocolon is removed intact along embryological planes, and the bowel ends are joined inside the abdomen. The specimen is delivered through a short protected incision.
- Complete mesocolic excision with central vascular ligation
- Intracorporeal anastomosis, avoiding a long abdominal incision
- Lymph node harvest reported for staging accuracy
- ERAS pathway from the day of surgery
Who it suits
Colon cancer of the caecum, ascending, transverse, descending or sigmoid colon without invasion of major vessels or multiple adjacent organs. Previous abdominal surgery does not automatically exclude a robotic approach.
Recovery
Fluids on the day of surgery, walking the same evening, soft diet on day one and discharge typically day two to four. Histopathology is discussed at review 7–10 days later, and the tumour board decides on adjuvant chemotherapy.
Common questions
- Will I need a stoma after colectomy?
- Rarely. A stoma is unusual in elective colon cancer surgery and is generally reserved for obstruction, perforation or an unusually high-risk join.
- How many lymph nodes should be removed?
- Guidelines expect at least 12 nodes for accurate staging; complete mesocolic excision routinely yields more.
Related reading
This page is general education, reviewed by Dr. Ishaan Allahabadi, MCh Surgical Oncology (Edge Hill, UK) · MS Surgery · MBBS (Accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of England). It is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Treatment decisions are made after reviewing your imaging and pathology, in a multidisciplinary tumour board.