Most people aren't excited about the possibility of surgery, but it is sometimes necessary. Educating yourself about your procedure can make the process less stressful for you and your family.

The term "colorectal" is a combination of two words: colon and rectum. This term often refers to all organs of the lower digestive tract, including the colon, rectum, anus, pelvic floor and small intestine.

Colorectal surgery includes a wide range of surgical procedures that can treat conditions affecting the lower digestive tract, ranging from hemorrhoids to diverticulitis to cancer. Many procedures can be performed using minimally invasive, or laparoscopic or robotic, techniques.

Colorectal surgeons have completed specialized training on the surgical care of conditions affecting the small bowel, colon, rectum and anus. The two primary categories of colorectal surgeries are abdominal surgery and anorectal surgery.

These surgical procedures are performed on the digestive organs in the abdomen, primarily the small intestine and colon.

In some cases, it may not be safe to internally reconnect the intestine. Then it may be necessary to attach the colon to the outside of the body. This procedure is called a colostomy.

During this procedure, your surgeon will create a hole in your abdominal wall and pull the intestine out and secure it to the skin. This is called a stoma or ostomy. It allows stool to leave your body. A colostomy bag attaches to the stoma to collect the waste.

Sometimes the ostomy is only temporary, allowing your colon or rectum time to heal after surgery. In rare cases, however, the colostomy may be permanent. Ostomies may be indicated for a variety of colon-related conditions, including colon cancer, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

In cases of severe ulcerative colitis or hereditary cancer syndromes, ileoanal anastomosis surgery is an alternative to a permanent ostomy. It's commonly called J-pouch surgery.

During J-pouch surgery, your surgeon removes the entire colon and constructs a pouch, shaped like the letter J, from the end of the small intestine and attached to the end of the rectum. A temporary ostomy is usually created to allow the J pouch to heal for about two to three months. A second surgery closes the ileostomy, allowing you to pass stool normally.

Anorectal disorders are a group of medical disorders that occur within the anal canal and rectum. Often these conditions are a source of discomfort, pain, embarrassment and worry.

These conditions can be treated in the office or the operating room, depending on their severity.

Recovery time after colorectal surgery varies depending on the type of surgical procedure performed. Typically, abdominal surgeries require a hospital stay and have a longer recovery time. You can expect activity and lifting restrictions for a few weeks while you recover. Anal and rectal surgeries have a shorter recovery time. These operations are usually performed as an outpatient with no overnight hospital stay necessary. Most patients see improvement in their symptoms within a few days to a week.

A common question people have before surgery is if they will be able to eat, drink and use the bathroom normally. In most cases, the answer is yes. While healing, it may be normal to have some discomfort when passing stool. Your bowel habits may become irregular for a few weeks after surgery as your body heals and adjusts.

Managing pain is critical after all surgeries, including colorectal surgeries. Your health care team will work with you to address your pain.

Pain management techniques have improved, and surgeons can treat most surgical pain with minimal use of narcotics. The goal is to control pain enough to allow patients to recover and return to normal function as soon as possible.

It's common to feel nervous about the prospect of surgery. That's why it's important to talk with the surgeon to learn more about the procedure and get answers to your questions.