Condition: Hemicolectomy

A hemicolectomy is the surgical removal of half of the colon, also called the long intestine. A hemicolectomy may be performed to prevent or treat a number of diseases, including an obstruction or perforation, extreme bleeding, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. Hemicolectomy may also be used to treat colon cancer, diverticulitis, and diverticular disease affecting the large intestine. In hemicolectomy, either the right or left half of the colon may be removed, and the procedure may be done laparoscopically (using only a very small incision) or in an “open” colectomy in which a large incision is made in the abdomen to access the colon.