Our Approach to the Treatment of Colorectal Disease

We at Maryland Surgeons strive to have a strong relationship with our patients to offer the best treatment for colorectal diseases.

Our goal is to work together to help guide you through all the stages of your treatment.  We work with your gastroenterologist in a multidisciplinary approach to help optimize the care that is right for you.  When you meet with us we will talk with you about your condition and help to explain what is going on and how our services can help you and improve your quality of life.

We specialize in the treatment of many diseases and conditions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.  Each of our board-certified surgeons offers a compassionate and tailored approach to your needs.  Depending upon the patient and the disease we can offer minimally invasive approaches in many situations.

We specialize in the following procedures:

• Endoscopy
  • An endoscopy is a procedure in which a camera is inserted into the GI tract, either through the mouth to evaluate the esophagus, stomach and small intestine (this type is called an upper endoscopy, or esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy), or through the anus to evaluate the rectum, colon, and lower small intestine (this type is called a lower endoscopy, or colonoscopy).  They are sometimes done as an isolated procedure in the office or endoscopy suite and sometimes during another larger procedure in the operating room.  Most patients having an endoscopy alone are able to go home the same day.
• Sphincter-Sparing Surgery
  • The anal sphincter works to help keep bowel contents within the body until it is time to have a bowel movement.  When they are lost or damaged patients can experience incontinence and lose control of their bowels.  In many cases surgeons can meticulously work to spare sphincters to help prevent incontinence after surgery.
    
• Colectomy
  • A colectomy is the removal of the all or part of the colon, or large intestine.  It is performed for a variety of indications, including both benign (noncancer) and malignant (cancer) cases and may be done with traditional open approaches, laparoscopically, or robotically, depending on a variety of factors.
    
• Surgery For Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
  • IBD is made up of two different diseases, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. In severe forms of the disease, perforations of colon or fistulas between organs can occur. Surgery is often performed in these cases to treat symptoms and manage complications of the disease.

• Hemorrhoid Surgery
  • Hemorrhoids are inflamed blood vessels within the anus that can be either painless or extremely painful. They can be removed surgically to treat the pain and discomfort.
    
• Anorectal Surgery
  • A variety of transanal procedures are performed using a minimally invasive approach to help the patient recover faster.

Please contact us at (443) 574-8500 to set up an appointment or to get more information about how our surgeons can help you.

Frequently Asked Questions – Colorectal Surgery

Q. What are the colon and the rectum?
A. The colon and the rectum are part of the gastrointestinal (digestive) tract and form a long tube called the large intestine, or the large bowel.  The colon begins at the end of the small intestine and travels about five feet around the abdomen to end at the rectum, which is a pouch-like structure, about 6 inches long, between the colon and the anus.  

The colon absorbs water from the digested food and stores waste until it is ready to pass out of the body.  The rectum expands to hold the waste before it passes through the anus as a bowel movement.

Q. What is Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)?
A. Inflammatory bowel disease is made up of two diseases: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.  Crohn’s disease can occur anywhere in the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus while ulcerative colitis occurs from the large intestine to the rectum.  Both diseases can have many complications that requires surgery to treat.  For example, patients can develop fistulas (where two organs fuse together and make an abnormal connection), blockages, and infections that require surgical intervention. In severe case, patients may require removal part of the intestines.

Q. What is a polyp?
A. Polyps are benign but precancerous growths.  They form on the inner wall (called the mucosa) of the colon or rectum.  They are common, especially in people older than age 50, and can cause bleeding, or, when very large, can block bowel movements.  Because some polyps may become or harbor cancer, they are generally removed by colonoscopy.

Q. What is a colostomy?
A. A colostomy is a surgical procedure, generally reversible, that creates an alternate way for stool to leave the body when it cannot leave, or it is not safe for it to leave, the usual way. This alternate way is through an opening, called a stoma, in the abdominal wall.  A low-profile bag equipped with an adhesive ring is applied to the skin and catches the stool. Many people live fully active lives with stomas. Typically, once it has healed the stoma is painless and should not even cause discomfort.  A special clinician called an enterostomal therapist can help a patient with a new stoma learn how to take care of it, and adjust to living well with it.