How much do you know about rectal cancer surgery?

Rectal cancer is a cancer of the digestive tract, second only to gastric cancer in incidence. So what is rectal cancer? What should be paid attention to during rectal cancer surgery?

What is Rectal Cancer

Rectal cancer refers to cancer between the intestines and is one of the most common and disgusting tumors in the digestive tract. Rectal cancer is located low and deep in the pelvic cavity, with complex anatomical relationships. It is not easy to completely cure with surgical treatment, and the postoperative morbidity is high. It is difficult to preserve the anus and its function during surgery, which is a difficult problem for surgery. The main manifestations are bloody stools, constipation, diarrhea, etc. in the early stage of defecation. The stool gradually becomes thinner, and there is defecation obstruction in the late stage.

Surgical treatment methods

Surgical treatment is generally divided into radical and palliative. Radical surgery includes: abdominoperineal resection, anterior rectal cancer resection and anal sphincter-preserving rectal cancer resection. Palliative surgery is to perform limited resection of the intestinal segment with cancer and then close the rectum. It is also called sigmoid colostomy.

Rectal cancer surgery considerations

Patients with rectal cancer also have a 35% chance of recurrence after surgery. Therefore, after surgery, patients with rectal cancer need to go to the hospital for regular checkups, and at the same time, they should also check whether other organs are likely to become cancerous. Patients also need to quit smoking and drinking, maintain a normal daily routine, and eat easily digestible foods, and try to avoid eating too thin or too much crude fiber food.

Diet and health care after rectal cancer surgery

Patients with colorectal cancer should have a diversified diet. They should not be picky eaters and should not eat too much high-fat and high-protein food. They should regularly eat fresh vegetables rich in vitamins and cancer-preventing foods, such as tomatoes, celery, cabbage, radishes, citrus fruits, yogurt, etc.