Colon Cancer Surgery
Colon cancer is highly treatable when caught early. Modern surgery makes recovery easier than ever.
Dr. Chung specializes in robotic-assisted colon resection designed for precision, faster recovery, and better long-term outcomes.
MD
Medically reviewed by
Albert Chung, MD, FACS, MBA, FASCRS, double board-certified colon and rectal surgeon in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
Your Friendly Proctologist.Last reviewed September 2026. This page is for education and does not replace an in-person examination.Colon cancer develops when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably in the lining of the colon. Most colon cancers begin as small polyps that gradually grow over years and, if left in place, can eventually become cancerous and spread to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, and lungs. Early detection and removal are what change the trajectory of this disease.
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Symptoms to Watch For
Colon cancer often develops silently in its earliest stages. When symptoms do appear, common signs include:
A persistent change in bowel habits (diarrhea, constipation, or changes in stool consistency)
Blood in the stool, sometimes dark or maroon-colored
Persistent abdominal discomfort, cramping, or gas pain
A feeling that the bowel doesn't empty completely
Unexplained weakness or fatigue
Unexplained weight loss
Iron-deficiency anemia, often discovered on routine bloodwork
These signs overlap with many benign conditions, which is why screening matters so much: it can find cancer (or precancerous polyps) before symptoms ever appear.
Risk Factors
Several factors raise the likelihood of developing colon cancer.
Age
Risk rises with age. Current US guidelines recommend starting screening at age 45.
Family history
A family history of colorectal cancer or polyps significantly raises your risk.
Personal history
If you've had polyps, previous colorectal cancer, or chronic IBD, your risk is elevated.
Inflammatory bowel disease
Long-standing ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease in the colon raises cancer risk meaningfully.
African-American ethnicity
Higher incidence and earlier onset of colorectal cancer compared to other groups.
Lifestyle factors
High intake of red and processed meats, low fiber, smoking, heavy alcohol use, sedentary lifestyle, and obesity all contribute.
Genetic syndromes
Lynch syndrome and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) substantially raise lifetime risk and require earlier, more frequent screening.
How Colon Cancer Is Diagnosed
If Dr. Chung determines that you're at risk based on your medical or family history, or if symptoms warrant evaluation, he'll conduct a comprehensive workup. Diagnostic methods may include:
Colonoscopy
The gold standard. A flexible scope provides a full view of the colon and allows for biopsy or polyp removal during the same procedure.
Sigmoidoscopy
A shorter scope that examines the lower colon. Useful in some situations but doesn't see the entire colon.
Digital rectal exam (DRE)
A quick physical examination that can detect abnormalities in the rectum. Often a first step.
CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy)
Detailed imaging of the colon. Effective for detection but doesn't allow polyp removal, so a follow-up colonoscopy is needed if anything is found.
Stool-based tests (FIT, Cologuard)
Detect signs of cancer or precancerous changes in stool samples. Increasingly common as a screening option, with positive results requiring follow-up colonoscopy.
Barium enema
A liquid barium solution is introduced into the colon for X-ray imaging. Used less commonly now that colonoscopy and CT colonography are widely available.
When Caught Early, Outcomes Are Strong
~91%
Five-year survival rate when colon cancer is found and treated before it spreads. Catching it early changes the entire trajectory of care.
Screening saves lives: Colonoscopy can find and remove precancerous polyps before they ever become cancer. If you're 45 or older, or have a family history of colorectal cancer, talk to Dr. Chung about getting on a screening schedule.
Treatment Approach
For most patients diagnosed with colon cancer, surgery is the primary treatment. A colectomy (also called colon resection surgery) removes the diseased section of the colon along with nearby lymph nodes to prevent the spread of cancer.
After removing the affected tissue, Dr. Chung typically performs an anastomosis to reconnect the healthy parts of the intestine. Depending on the stage and characteristics of the cancer, treatment may also include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy in combination with surgery.
Surgical Approaches
Three main approaches are used in colon resection surgery, each with different tradeoffs.
Open surgery
Traditional approach
A single large abdominal incision. Effective and still appropriate in some complex cases, but generally involves longer recovery and higher complication risk than minimally invasive approaches.
Laparoscopic surgery
Minimally invasive
Several small incisions with thin instruments and a high-definition camera. Reduced postoperative pain and faster recovery than open surgery, with comparable cancer outcomes.
Robotic-assisted
Most precise
Uses advanced robotic instruments controlled by the surgeon for the highest level of precision and 3D visualization. Especially valuable for complex anatomy.
Robotic-Assisted Surgery with the da Vinci System
Dr. Chung's specialty
da Vinci Robotic Surgery
Cutting-edge precision for complex colon cancer cases.
Dr. Chung specializes in robotic-assisted colon cancer surgery using the da Vinci surgical system. The technology gives him a level of precision and visualization that traditional approaches simply can't match, particularly when navigating complex anatomy or working in tight spaces.
Surgeon Console
Provides a 3D, high-definition magnified view of the surgical site for superior visualization and control.
Patient-Side Cart
Holds robotic instruments that translate Dr. Chung's hand movements into precise, tremor-free actions inside the patient.
Vision Cart
Coordinates the system components and provides the surgical team with a clear view of the operative field.
Firefly® fluorescence imaging: A specialized feature that highlights blood flow in the colon during surgery, revealing perfusion patterns invisible to the naked eye. This helps Dr. Chung make better decisions about tissue viability and surgical margins.
Benefits of Robotic-Assisted Colon Surgery
Compared to traditional approaches, robotic-assisted colon surgery may offer:
✓Fewer complications compared to open and laparoscopic surgery.
✓Shorter hospital stays and faster recovery.
✓Lower likelihood of conversion to open surgery mid-procedure.
✓Greater surgical precision and dexterity.
✓Less blood loss and reduced need for transfusion.
✓Smaller scars and reduced postoperative pain.
Is Surgery Right for You?
Surgical intervention is highly effective for colon cancer, but not every patient is a candidate for minimally invasive techniques. The right approach depends on tumor size, location, stage, and your overall health. Dr. Chung will evaluate your specific situation and recommend the treatment plan that gives you the best chance of full recovery.
Types of Colon Resection
The operation is named for the segment of colon removed. The tumor's location decides which one you need.
Right hemicolectomy
Removes the cecum, ascending colon, and part of the transverse colon for tumors on the right side. The small intestine is joined to the remaining colon. The most common colectomy, and one that rarely needs a stoma.
Left hemicolectomy
Removes the descending colon and part of the transverse colon for tumors on the left side.
Sigmoid colectomy
Removes the S-shaped sigmoid colon, the most common site of both colon cancer and diverticulitis. The descending colon is joined to the upper rectum.
Transverse colectomy
Removes the middle section of the colon. Less common; tumors here are often treated with an extended right or left resection instead.
Total or subtotal colectomy
Removes most or all of the colon, reserved for multiple tumors, hereditary syndromes such as Lynch syndrome or FAP, or colitis-related cancers.
Recovery Timeline After Colon Cancer Surgery
Dr. Chung follows an enhanced recovery protocol, which is the reason most robotic patients are home in a few days rather than a week.
Day of surgery
Two to three hours in the operating room for most robotic colectomies. You wake with four or five small incisions. Sips of clear liquid and a first short walk usually happen the same evening.
Days 1 to 3
Diet advances as bowel function returns. Walking several times a day. Pain is controlled mostly with non-opioid medication. Discharge typically on day two to four for robotic and laparoscopic cases, day five to seven for open surgery.
Weeks 1 to 2
Fatigue is the dominant symptom. Short walks, small frequent meals, no lifting over 10 to 15 pounds. Dr. Chung calls to check in and sees you in the office at about two weeks with the pathology report.
Weeks 2 to 6
Return to desk work at two to three weeks. Driving once off narcotic medication. Bowel habits are looser and more frequent and settle over one to three months. Chemotherapy, when needed, usually starts four to eight weeks after surgery.
Six weeks onward
Full activity, including exercise and heavy lifting. Surveillance begins: CEA blood tests, CT scans, and a colonoscopy at one year. Read the
full recovery timeline.
Will I Need a Colostomy?
Almost never for colon cancer. The two ends of the bowel are joined back together (an anastomosis) in the same operation, and the vast majority of patients go home with normal, if temporarily changed, bowel function. A temporary stoma is used only when the bowel cannot safely be joined right away, most often in emergency surgery for a perforated or obstructing tumor, and it is reversed in a second short operation a few months later. Permanent colostomy is a question for very low rectal cancers, which is addressed on the rectal cancer surgery page.
Lymph Nodes, Margins, and Why They Matter
A colon cancer operation removes the tumor together with the segment of colon around it and the fan of tissue containing its blood vessels and lymph nodes. National guidelines call for at least 12 lymph nodes to be examined, because the number of involved nodes sets the stage and determines whether chemotherapy is recommended. Robotic surgery makes it easier to take a complete lymph node package and to confirm good blood supply to the reconnected bowel using Firefly fluorescence imaging, which lowers the risk of a leak at the join.
Colon Cancer Surgery for Orange County Patients
Patients from across Orange County come to Dr. Chung for colon cancer surgery because he performs it robotically, is fellowship-trained in colon and rectal surgery specifically, and handles every step from the diagnostic colonoscopy through surveillance himself.
Dr. Chung sees patients at 30212 Tomas, Suite 365, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, off the 241 toll road in South Orange County. Patients come from Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Ladera Ranch, Trabuco Canyon, Santa Ana, and across Orange County. Most new patients are seen within days, and a first visit usually includes the exam, a plain-language explanation, and a treatment plan the same day.
Not ready for an in-person visit? Dr. Chung also offers online video consultations. Read what patients say on the reviews page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Colon Cancer Surgery
How long does colon cancer surgery take?
Two to three hours for most robotic or laparoscopic colectomies, longer for extended resections or when scar tissue from prior surgery is present. You are under general anesthesia throughout.
How long will I be in the hospital?
Two to four days after robotic or laparoscopic colon surgery under an enhanced recovery protocol. Open surgery typically means five to seven days. You go home once you are eating, walking, passing gas, and comfortable on oral pain medication.
Is robotic surgery better than laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer?
Cancer outcomes are equivalent between the two minimally invasive approaches, and both are better than open surgery for recovery. Robotic surgery offers better visualization, wristed instruments, and a lower chance of converting to an open operation mid-procedure, which matters most in complex anatomy, obese patients, and low pelvic dissections.
Will I need chemotherapy after surgery?
It depends on the pathology. Stage I cancers are usually treated with surgery alone. Stage III cancers, where lymph nodes are involved, are treated with chemotherapy after surgery. Some stage II cancers with high-risk features are offered chemotherapy as well. Dr. Chung reviews the final pathology with you and coordinates with medical oncology.
What can I eat after colon surgery?
Clear liquids the day of surgery, then a soft, low-residue diet for the first couple of weeks: small, frequent meals, limited raw vegetables and high-fiber foods, and plenty of fluids. Most patients return to a normal diet within three to four weeks. Dr. Chung provides a written diet progression at discharge.
Can I get a second opinion before surgery?
Yes. Send prior colonoscopy, pathology, and imaging reports ahead of the visit and Dr. Chung reviews them before you arrive. Second opinions are available in person or by video consultation.
Related Reading
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