Colorectal Surgery

Our approach to colorectal surgery

At UCSF Health, a compassionate team of surgeons, nurse practitioners, social workers and registered dietitians guides you through every stage of treatment and recovery. Our goal is to ease your symptoms using the least invasive approach, so you can get back to feeling like yourself as quickly as possible.

Our surgeons treat the full range of colorectal diseases, including:

• Colon, rectal and anal cancers

• Diverticulitis

• Fecal incontinence

• Hemorrhoids

• Inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease)

• Pelvic floor disorders

Laparoscopic and robotic colorectal surgery

Colorectal surgeons at UCSF Health specialize in laparoscopic and robotic procedures. These minimally invasive techniques use smaller incisions than traditional surgery, so you recover faster and with less pain. We offer the most sophisticated robotic technology available, allowing surgeons to operate with exceptional accuracy. They safely remove tumors, polyps and diseased tissue, while minimizing damage to healthy surrounding tissue.

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery for rectal cancer

We offer an advanced procedure for rectal polyps and early-stage rectal cancer that avoids major abdominal surgery and removing the rectum. Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) is a procedure performed entirely through the anus. Our surgeons preserve the anal sphincter (ring of muscles that control bowel movements) so patients don't need a permanent colostomy bag and can use the bathroom normally.

Active surveillance for rectal cancer

At UCSF Health, we use the latest evidence-based guidelines to treat rectal cancer nonsurgically whenever possible. For select patients, a combination of radiation and chemotherapy (chemoradiation) can effectively treat cancer and avoid the need for surgery. This approach, called active surveillance, eliminates the potential risks of surgery, such as changes in bowel and bladder function. We monitor patients after chemoradiation with regular endoscopic exams to ensure the cancer doesn't return or spread.

Care for advanced colon and rectal cancers

In some cases, an open surgical approach is more appropriate than a minimally invasive one. We may recommend open surgery for people with advanced or hard-to-reach tumors, as well as complex colorectal cancer. Colorectal surgeons at UCSF Health are well-versed in open surgical techniques and are known for their ability to treat conditions that many centers consider inoperable.

We offer regional chemotherapy for cancer that has spread beyond the colon to other parts of your body. Our surgeons are leaders in hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), a procedure that delivers a strong dose of heated chemotherapy directly to your abdominal cavity.

Enhanced recovery after colorectal surgery

The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program at UCSF Health aims to help you recover and return home as safely and quickly as possible after surgery. We use protocols that have been proven effective before, during and after your procedure to help you achieve the best possible outcome.

Our approach to enhanced recovery after colorectal surgery includes:

• Selecting the right type and dose of anesthesia for each patient's needs

• Encouraging patients to get out of bed and walk soon after surgery

• Promoting proper diet and hydration to help patients regain bowel function

• Providing non-opioid pain medication to prevent constipation