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Rectal surgery / anterior resection
Category: General & Abdominal Surgery · All general & abdominal surgery
What it is
Anterior resection removes the diseased part of the rectum (and sometimes the lower colon) for cancer or other disease, joining the remaining bowel to the top of the anal canal. A temporary stoma is often made to protect the join while it heals.
Why it is done
It is the main operation for many rectal cancers and some other rectal diseases, aiming to remove the disease while preserving the back passage so a permanent stoma is avoided.
How to prepare
Planning includes MRI and CT scans, multidisciplinary team discussion, and sometimes radiotherapy or chemotherapy before surgery. You will meet the stoma team, have bowel preparation as advised, and fast before the operation.
What happens during the procedure
Under general anaesthetic, often keyhole or robotic, the rectum segment is removed with its surrounding tissue and lymph nodes, and the bowel is rejoined low in the pelvis. A loop stoma in the small bowel is commonly formed. Surgery takes three to five hours.
Afterwards — recovery & results
Stay is usually about five to seven days. The stoma (if made) is typically reversed after some months once scans and checks confirm the join has healed and any additional treatment is complete. Bowel function after reversal takes time to settle and can be unpredictable at first.
Risks & considerations
Risks include anastomotic leak, bleeding, infection, blood clots, injury to urinary and sexual function nerves in the pelvis, and long-term bowel habit changes (low anterior resection syndrome). Your team will discuss these in detail.
Watch: Rectal surgery / anterior resection videos
Real procedure videos from the MedicalVideos.com library. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
Why a temporary stoma if the bowel is joined?
Diverting the stool stream protects the fresh low join while it heals, reducing the consequences if it leaks. It is usually reversed a few months later.
What is low anterior resection syndrome?
A pattern of bowel symptoms after low rectal surgery — frequency, urgency and clustering of stools. It usually improves over the first year or two and there are management strategies.
Related procedures — General & Abdominal Surgery
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