Los Angeles Colon Cancer Surgery
Colorectal cancer affects the regions of the gastrointestinal tract known as the rectum and the colon. The tumours develop from fleshy growths known as polyps, and this is a long, slow process. Screening processes can be carried out in order to identify these polyps long before they have become cancerous, so if you are at a high risk of developing colorectal cancer, then it is highly advisable that you undergo the screening process, which will usually be a colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy Procedure – A Little Pain Today Saves You From Much Pain Tomorrow
A colonoscopy involves the insertion of a narrow, flexible tube into the colon through the anus. The camera located at the end of this tube enables a display to be shown on a screen, which the doctor will use to identify any polyps or tumours that may be present within this region. The advantage of a colonoscopy over any other form of screening process is that the removal of tumours and polyps can be carried out immediately, rather than needing to have a second procedure performed. If the growths are small enough, they can be removed using a snare. A snare is a thin loop of wire that can be slipped over the growth and tightened. This slices through, removing the growth from the lining of the colon and cauterising it to prevent bleeding.

Necessary Surgery For Colon and Rectal Cancer
However, if the growth is too large for a snare to be used, then a different type of surgery will be required. An extensive tumour will require a section of the bowel (large intestine or colon, as they are also called) to be removed. This will involve a cut being made in the abdomen, near to the location of the tumour. This procedure is called a colectomy, though a more specific name can be given once the region affected has been identified. The lymph glands nearest to the tumour will also be removed, as a precaution, in case the tumour has begun to spread. The lymph glands will be the first location affected, if this is the case.

Once the affected section of the bowel has been removed, the remaining ends will be rejoined to complete the gastrointestinal tract again. This may sometimes take a while to heal, so you might need to have a temporary colostomy, which will later be repaired. This does involve the use of a colostomy bag to collect waste material. If a very large section of the bowel is removed, then it is possible that you may need a permanent colostomy; however, this will be avoided if at all possible. A permanent colostomy is most likely to be needed when the entire colon is removed, in order to treat an extensive case of colorectal cancer.

If the tumour is located in the rectum, then the tumour and a border of unaffected cells around it will be removed surgically. Fatty tissue around the bowel will also be removed, along with some tissue known as the mesentery. The mesentery contains the blood vessels and lymph nodes that supply the rectum, so if the cancer has begun to spread, this is the first region that will be affected. This procedure is performed because it reduces the risk of recurrence considerably. Removal of the entire mesentery is known as total mesenteric excision (TME).

Contact Your Colorectal Surgical Specialist If You Require More Information
Your local colorectal surgeon will provide you with sufficient information to make an informed decision about the future of your treatment. Although there are many possible treatments for each condition, the first step has to be booking the initial appointment, which will put you on the path to eliminating your symptoms, hopefully for good.

 
Best Los Angeles Colorectal Surgeons
Finding a colorectal surgeon should be extremely easy, with the modern technology that is now available to enable you to search much more easily. However, the downside to having Internet access and websites for everything means that you have so many more options to choose from than ever before, which makes research a time consuming task. There are many different Los Angeles colorectal surgeons and surgeries, and in order to make an informed decision, there are several things that you will need to do.

Step One – Identify What Type Of Colon Surgeon Is Right For You
Firstly, you will need to identify a selection of colorectal surgeons that you think would be suitable. To do this, you could ask your doctor for recommendations, or alternatively you could search online. A search engine such as Google will help you to find all of the colorectal surgeons in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and Southern California. 

The next step, once you have compiled the lists, is to look at the individual websites of each surgeon you have chosen. This should give you information about the training they have received and all relevant qualifications they have been awarded, along with details about the procedures that they are able to offer. You should check to see if they are board certified, and if they carry out teaching work or are an Associate Physician or Surgeon at a major hospital, this is a very good sign.

The websites should give you plenty of information about the surgeons and procedures they offer, which may help you to narrow down your selection even further. However, there is still more research that you will need to do. The next step in finding a colorectal surgeon is to read reviews that have been written by their previous patients. While some of these may be published on the surgeon’s website, these are unlikely to give a completely balanced view. Therefore, you would be much better looking at a review website such as Healthgrades, Vitals or yelp.com. These reviews, by patients, will give a much clearer indication of the surgeon’s expertise and the satisfaction of people who have used the services previously.

Surgeon Review Websites Can Be Trusted, Especially Yelp.com
Reviews can be an extremely useful tool when it comes to assessing surgeons (and other doctors) you are considering, but websites can only tell you so much. It is also extremely important to visit each of the surgeries before you make your decision. Ideally, you should book a consultation session with every surgeon that you are seriously considering. This will enable you to discuss your surgery and any concerns that you may have, and enable you to decide more easily. The Los Angeles surgeon should be happy to discuss the procedures, including benefits and risks, and also should talk about their experience in the field of colorectal surgery. Any reluctance to talk about this should be a cause for concern, and you may want to think about looking elsewhere as a result.

Also, when you book your consultation, make sure that you are actually speaking to the surgeon who will be performing the procedure. This means that you will get accurate information, and you can decide whether you feel comfortable and confident in the person’s skills. If you need a Los Angeles colon surgeon, call them today to schedule an appointment.

Have You Found Your Colorectal Surgeon? Contact Them Today
Your Los Angeles colorectal surgeon will provide you with sufficient information to make an informed decision about the future of your treatment. Although there are many possible treatments for each condition, the first step has to be booking the initial appointment, which will put you on the path to eliminating your, possibly debilitating, symptoms.

 
Los Angeles Colon Cancer Treatment
The disease known as colorectal cancer involves the growth of tumors in the colon or the rectum. These tumors are easiest to remove when they are at a very early stage, ideally before they become cancerous, when they are known as polyps. These polyps can be removed quickly and easily during a colonoscopy procedure, which does not require the use of anaesthetic, though a sedative will normally be offered.

Survival rates for colorectal cancer are quite good, with approximately two thirds of cases being cured, mainly due to screening and early detection. However, once the cancer has begun to spread to other parts of the body (metastasis), then the prognosis is poor. This is why screening is so important, and is now offered to all patients considered to be in a high risk category for colorectal cancer.

Various Forms Of Colon and Rectal Cancer Treatment - First Determine How Advanced the Cancer is
The treatment that will be offered depends on how advanced the cancer is. If it is found while still at an early stage, then an operation to remove the tumor is usually very effective and can be curative. In addition to surgery, chemotherapy may also be used, to ensure that any remaining cancer cells are destroyed. Radiation therapy is often used either before or after an operation to supplement surgical treatment. This adjuvant therapy is particularly important if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. Lymph node disease is often better treated with chemoradiation rather than surgery. We highly recommend you see your Los Angeles colorectal surgeon to learn more.

Treatment of Colon Cancer: Surgery, Chemotherapy, & Palliative Measures
If the colorectal tumors are too large to be removed during a colonoscopy procedure, then surgery will be required. Depending on the location and the size of the tumor, different approaches may be used. For relatively small tumors, the affected area and a clear margin of non-cancerous cells will be surgically removed, sometimes in addition to the lymph nodes nearest to the tumor. The clear margin and the removal of lymph nodes increase the likelihood that all of the tumor cells will have been removed. It is also important to take the lymph nodes, as these will be one of the first regions affected if the cancer spreads.

If the cancer is more advanced, then the treatment is designed to be palliative, and reduce the symptoms as much as possible. This is an attempt to improve the quality of life even when the cancer cannot be cured. Surgery and chemotherapy may both be used during palliative treatment, along with radiotherapy and various pain medications.

Colectomy – A Last Resort But A Necessary Procedure
More extensive cancerous regions will require a type of surgery known as a colectomy. This involves the removal of a section of the bowel, and then the remaining ends will be joined back together. Again, the lymph nodes nearest to the tumor will be removed in order to reduce the risk of recurrence and metastasis (which is the term for when the cancer spreads to other parts of the body).

Los Angeles Surgery for colorectal cancer treatment will often be combined with other types of treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells. They are sometimes referred to as cytotoxic drugs, and work by disrupting the growth of cells. This means that other growing cells can also be affected, so you might lose some hair or become anaemic, for example. Chemotherapy can be used either before or after surgery. This form of treatment is useful if it is thought that the cancer has spread, because the drugs are in the bloodstream and can reach all parts of the body. Chemotherapy before surgery is intended to shrink the tumor and make it easier to remove, while chemotherapy after surgery is intended to prevent a recurrence.

Radiotherapy may also be used to treat colorectal cancer. This treatment uses high-energy gamma rays to kill the cancer cells. It is not normally used in colon cancer, but can be useful if the tumor was located in the rectum. It will normally be used in conjunction with chemotherapy, as the drugs lead to the cells becoming more sensitive to the radiation. Like with chemotherapy, this treatment can be carried out before or after surgery.

A combination of treatments will usually be necessary for colorectal cancer. The earlier that the tumors are identified, the more successful the treatment is likely to be. This is why screening programmes for high-risk groups of people are so important – they can prevent a considerable number of cases of colorectal cancer.

See Your Los Angeles Surgeon For More Information About Colon & Rectal Cancer
Your Los Angeles colorectal surgeon will provide you with sufficient information to make an informed decision about the future of your treatment. Although there are many possible treatments for each condition, the first step has to be booking the initial appointment, which will put you on the path to eliminating your symptoms.

 
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Choosing a colorectal surgeon in Los Angeles is something that you need to spend time thinking about, as the services offered by the practitioners can vary considerably.  Make sure that you do your research before you make your decision, or you could find that you are getting a lower quality service than you expected.

Step One – 
Ask For A Personal Recommendation
Start by asking your doctor about LA or Beverly Hills colorectal surgeons and surgeries in your local area, and get a list of names.  This will give you a starting point for your research.  To begin with, start by finding each of the surgeons online.  The practices should each have their own websites, giving information about the doctors and surgeons who work there, and the procedures that they are able to offer.

Step Two – Read Reviews Online And Do Your Research
Once you have looked at the websites and used the information there to narrow down the selection, you should then try to find reviews of the practices, and ideally, the individual surgeons that you are considering.  There are several independent websites that enable reviews to be published for various surgeons in the United States, so check on these and see what they say.  Some of the most reliable and accurate review websites are yelp.com, Vitals and Healthgrades.  The reviews should help you to narrow down your selection even further.

Step Three – Book a Consultation and Meet Your Colorectal Surgeon in Person
Once you have filtered and now face a small number of colorectal surgeons, the next step would be to book a consultation session with these surgeons.  This will allow you to meet with each person you are considering, and discuss your requirements.  It will also enable you to ask any questions that you might have about the procedures you might need, the condition you are suffering from, and also the qualifications and experience of the surgeon.  It is important that you speak to the surgeon who will be performing the procedure, not a sales adviser or a junior associate, as you need to feel comfortable, and have confidence in their skills.

Once you have met with the LA surgeon and received information (ideally in a written format that you can take away with you and review later) about them and the surgery, you will be able to make a more informed decision about the best colorectal surgeon for you.  Don’t be afraid to ask any questions that you might have, as your chosen Los Angeles colorectal surgeon or physician should be more than happy to answer these and discuss the procedures and risks with you.  If the surgeon is at all reluctant to spend the time talking to you and addressing your queries, then you should see this as a cause for concern, and it might be a good idea to choose someone else instead.

Step Four – If Necessary Then Rinse, Wash, Repeat
If you are not satisfied with the services offered in your local area, then getting back online and doing some more extensive searching is really the best solution.  Try looking for colorectal surgeons on a search engine such as Google, and look throughout the entire city of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and perhaps some of the surrounding areas of Southern California too.  This will give you many more doctors and surgeries to choose from, which will enable you to find the right colorectal surgeon for you.

Step Five – Avoid Step Four And Contact The Right Colorectal Surgeon For You!
Your Los Angeles colon surgeon  will provide you with sufficient information to make an informed decision about the future of your treatment.  Although there are many possible treatments for each condition, the first step has to be booking the initial appointment, which will put you on the path to eliminating, or at least controlling, your symptoms.