A healthy colon helps with proper digestion and absorption of vital nutrients from your food. However, if your colon is not healthy, you might need colon surgery Lenox Hill to help alleviate your symptoms and aid your digestive system. Below are ways to keep your colon healthy and types of colon surgery.
The five ways to keep your colon healthy
You can use the following tips to promote a healthy colon or large intestine.
1. Eat a high-fiber diet
Your diet must consist of foods with a high soluble fiber content to aid digestion and bowel movement. If food stays too long in your stomach, you might experience pain because of slow digestion. If it passes too fast, you might not get the required nutrients from your food. Include whole grains, beans, and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
2. Drink plenty of water
Since your colon is responsible for passing toxins and excrement from your body, it can easily get damaged from toxin buildup. To avoid toxin buildup, you need to consume the recommended amount of water to ensure the smooth removal of waste. If you don’t drink enough water, you might experience constipation leading to bowel blockages.
3. Exercise
Regular exercise promotes better blood circulation and strengthens your digestive system. When you exercise, you can achieve and maintain a healthy BMI and weight, which helps you keep your colon healthy.
4. Limit alcohol consumption and smoking
Alcohol consumption gives your liver a lot of work to process the alcohol and remove the toxins. The toxins pose a risk to your colon, especially colorectal cancer. Although smoking is a cause of lung cancer, it is also linked to colorectal cancer.
5. Regular colonoscopies
Regular testing can help identify polyps that can be precancerous. During the examination, your specialist can remove the polyps and reduce your cancer risk. Your doctor will discuss the intervals that will define the time you might need testing.
When might you need colon surgery?
If you are at risk of conditions like Lynch syndrome, your doctor can recommend colon surgery as a preventive measure. Also, you can have the surgery if you have the following conditions: colon cancer, bowel blockage, severe colon bleeding, and multiple precancerous lesions.
In other cases, you can have the surgery if your condition is recurrent or doesn’t respond to different types of treatment. Such ailments include ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease, and Crohn’s disease.
Types of colon surgery
During the surgery, your surgeon can use different techniques, including traditional colon surgery or minimally invasive procedures. Traditional surgery involves one big incision between 6-8 inches, while minimally invasive laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgery uses small incisions.
Depending on the severity of your condition, your surgeon can remove your whole colon or a section of it. The following are the two types of colon surgery:
- Colectomy
- Colon resection
If you have bowel blockages or colon cancer, visit Lenox Hill Surgeons, LLP, for colon surgery. The qualified surgeons will evaluate your colon thoroughly before recommending the best approach for treatment. Call or book your appointment online and improve your digestive system.
