These minimally invasive techniques are appropriate for a wide range of diseases, including colorectal cancer, diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease of the small and large intestines, ulcerative colitis, colon polyps, and many others. In fact, most colon resections can now be done using laparoscopic techniques.

Despite this fact, most colon operations are still performed using traditional open surgery. This is because laparoscopic bowel surgery requires advanced training, and many general surgeons do not perform enough colectomies to become proficient with these techniques. Dr. Begos, a board certified Colon and Rectal surgeon, and a Fellow of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery, was fortunate to train with one of the pioneers of laparoscopic colon surgery, Garth Ballantyne, while he was a surgical resident at Yale. He spent one year working in Dr. Ballantyne’s lab, studying these advanced techniques, which were being developed at the time. In addition, Dr. Begos worked with Dr. Jeffery Milsom during his fellowship in Colorectal Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Milsom was also at the forefront of laparoscopic colon surgery, and remains a leader in the field.

Dr. Begos is also a recognized leader in the field of laparoscopic colon surgery. He has performed over 250 laparoscopic colon and rectal resections, and has published several papers on the topic in peer reviewed journals (see references below). In addition, he is involved in teaching and preceptoring other surgeons in minimally invasive bowel resection techniques, and has spoken on the topic at national and international meetings.

While not every patient is a candidate for this procedure, most are. If you require colon surgery, ask your doctor about the possibility of performing the procedure laparoscopically, and how many laparoscopic colectomies he or she has done. If you would like a second opinion regarding this option, please give Dr. Begos a call.