Colon and Rectal Surgery in Knoxville, TN

Colon and Rectal Surgeons diagnose and treat diseases and cancers of the lower digestive tract, which includes your intestines, colon, rectum and anus.

Your intestines help your body absorb nutrients from the food you eat and process then discard as waste. Problems of the intestines and colon may include polyps, cancer and inflammatory conditions.

lower digestive tract
Other Colon and Rectal Conditions Include:
  • Complex anal fistula and abscess
  • Anal fissure
  • Fecal incontinence including sacral nerve stimulator
  • Rectal prolapse
  • Pelvic floor disorder
  • Colonic inertia
  • Disorders of colostomy and ileostomy
Early Detection and Screening

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Colon and Rectal Cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed for men and women in the United States. An estimated 53,000 Americans die from Colon and Rectal Cancer each year.

Fortunately, when Colon and Rectal cancer is detected and diagnosed in an early stage, it can often be treated and cured. There are more than 1.5 million Colon and Rectal Cancer survivors in the United States.

Early diagnosis is the key to survival. The American Cancer Society now recommends Colon Cancer Screening for adults beginning at age 45 and earlier if you have a family history of Colon and Rectal cancer or have an inflammatory bowel disease.

Common Signs and Symptoms of Colon and Rectal Cancer
  • Ongoing constipation or diarrhea
  • Rectal bleeding
  • Blood in your stool
  • Change in bowel habits
  • Abdominal pain
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Sometimes colon and rectal cancer may have no symptoms at all
Treatment

The type of treatment you undergo depends on the stage of your cancer and other factors. Treatments like Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, Immunotherapy and Surgery may be combined or used separately to address your cancer.

Early Stage Colon and Rectal Cancer

In early stages many polyps and small cancers can be removed during a colonoscopy. This procedure involves inserting a small tube with a video camera into the patient’s rectum to see inside the colon. A polypectomy or local excision may be used to remove the polyp or cancer from the inside wall of the colon.

Bowel Resection
If the cancer is believed to have spread, a Bowel Resection (also called Colectomy) may be used to remove all or part of the colon. A Colectomy may be performed as an open or laparoscopic surgery. Part of the healthy colon and nearby lymph nodes will also be removed and checked for cancer.

A Partial Colectomy, Hemicolectomy, or Segmental Resection is the removal of part of the colon. Your surgeon will remove the section of the colon with the cancer, along with a small part of healthy colon on each side. The amount of colon removed depends on the size and location of your cancer. The sections of your remaining cancer are re-attached.

A Total Colectomy is the removal of all of the colon. This procedure may be performed if the patient has other issues in the section of the colon without cancer, such as hundreds of polyps or inflammatory bowel disease.

Your surgeon will explain and discuss the best treatment options with you. Treatments for individuals will vary depending on the stage and location of the tumor, the patient’s overall health, potential side effects of treatment, and medications the patient may be taking.

Video

Other than skin cancers, colon and rectal cancr is the 3rd most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States. Premier Colon and Rectal Surgeon Dr. Sung Lee explains the risks of colonrectal disease and why you shouldn’t skip your screening colonoscopy in this segment of the “Living East Tennesee” program on WATE TV-6 in Knoxville.

FORT SANDERS SURGEONS

FORT SANDERS REGIONAL
1819 Clinch Avenue, Suite 200
Knoxville, TN 37916
865.524.3695

Sung G. Lee, MD

General Surgery and Colon and Rectal Surgery
Fellowship: Colon and Rectal Surgery

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Gregory P. Midis, MD, FACS

Surgical Oncology

Board Certified: General, Colon and Rectal Surgery
Fellowship: Surgical Oncology; Colon and Rectal Surgery

 

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NORTH KNOXVILLE SURGEONS

NORTH KNOXVILLE MEDICAL CENTER
7714 Conner Road, Suites 103 & 104
Powell, TN 37849
865.938.8121

David J. Harrell, MD, FACS

General Surgery
Fellowship: Surgical Endoscopy and Therapeutic ERCP

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David G. Schutter, MD, FACS

General Surgery
Fellowship: Advanced GI and Minimally Invasive Surgery

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Ronald B. Weast, MD, FACS

General Surgery

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PARKWEST SURGEONS

PARKWEST
9430 Park West Boulevard, Suite 310
Knoxville, TN 37923
865.690.5263

Michael E. Kelly, MD, FACS

General Surgery
Fellowship: Advanced GI and Minimally Invasive Surgery

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 Schilling Nechtman, MD

General Surgery

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PREMIER CLEVELAND SURGEONS

PREMIER SURGICAL CLEVELAND
2275 Chambliss Ave. NW, Suite D
Cleveland, TN 37311
423.472.5423

Jason L. Dunn, MD, FACS

General Surgery

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Eston K. Wenger, MD, FACS

General Surgery

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Joshua A. Worthington, MD, FACS

General Surgery

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John Boxberger, MD

General Surgery

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PREMIER LAWSON GROUP SURGEONS

PREMIER SURGICAL LAWSON GROUP
101 Med Tech Parkway, Suite 405
Johnson City, TN 37604
423.975.5650

Kenneth E. Cutshall, MD, FACS

General Surgery

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John (Trey) F. Robertson, III, MD, FACS

General Surgery

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Michael Cutshall, MD

General Surgery

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