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Aurora Medical CenterSurgeryNew options at Aurora Medical Center easing recovery from colon surgeryAmericans know very well that all kinds of things can go wrong along the digestive tract. The colon is a part of that tract, and colon disease is very common in the U.S. National statistics show, for example, that more than 150,000 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis – both inflammatory conditions of the colon – each affect between 500,000 and two million Americans. Abnormal growths called polyps are another common problem affecting the colon, occurring in 15 to 20 percent of adults. And diverticular disease – the presence of infected “pockets” in the colon wall – affects about 50 percent of Americans by age 60. Conditions of the colon vary by severity, and for some, treatment can be as simple as a change in diet or round of oral antibiotics. In many cases, however, surgical removal of the diseased portion of the colon is necessary. Traditional or “open” surgery of the colon is a major operation, involving a lengthy hospitalization and recovery.
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