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An abdominoperineal resection is a type of surgery that is designed to remove the anus, rectum and portions of the lower (sigmoid) portion of the colon. This procedure is most often recommended for treating cancers that develop very low in the rectum or in the anus. After completing the resection, a surgeon will perform a colostomy by connecting the healthy end of the colon (large bowel) to an opening created in the anterior abdominal wall. This opening, or stoma, will pass through the surface of the skin to allow waste to exit the body.

The two main techniques used to perform abdominoperineal resection surgery are:

  • Minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery – Using a tiny camera, special surgical instruments and an external monitor, a surgeon accesses and removes the rectum and sigmoid colon through several small incisions in the abdomen, then removes the anus through an incision in the perineal region.
  • Open surgery – A surgeon creates one long incision in the abdomen and a smaller incision in the perineal region to remove the affected organs.

The surgeons in Moffitt Cancer Center’s Gastrointestinal Oncology Program are highly specialized in treating colorectal cancer by performing abdominoperineal resection surgery and other procedures. Our colorectal cancer team sees a high volume of patients, each of whom receives highly individualized treatment and benefits from multiple expert opinions in one location. 

Following an abdominoperineal resection and colostomy at Moffitt, a colostomy pouch will be fastened to the skin around the stoma to collect waste as it flows from the body. Moffitt’s multispecialty team of colorectal cancer experts includes highly experienced and compassionate wound, ostomy and continence (WOC) nurses who work with each patient and explain how to change the pouch, care for the stoma and recover fully from the surgery.

If you’d like to learn more about abdominoperineal resection surgery, the experts at Moffitt can provide the information you need. Call 1-888-663-3488 or complete a new patient registration form online. We see patients with and without referrals.