Colorectal Surgery | Conditions & Treatments

Overview

Colorectal disease can be mild, or it can be life-threatening. So it’s vital to seek the best care available to make sure your condition is understood and treated properly.

UR Medicine's Approach

Our division performs a full-range of procedures for colorectal disease. In short, if you need a particular surgery, you can trust that one of our surgeons is experienced in performing it.

Colon cancer screening. We offer the region’s most experienced colonoscopy specialists as well as the most advanced, high-definition equipment.

Colorectal Physiology. Our Colorectal Physiology Center, the only center of its kind in the Rochester metropolitan area and surrounding region, provides the most advanced diagnostics and therapies available for bowel incontinence. We were the first in the nation to offer a pacemaker-like technology for bowel control.

Minimally invasive procedures. Our surgeons are able to perform many surgeries in a minimally invasive manner—in some cases with just a single incision—helping to decrease pain, speed recovery, and reduce scarring.

Ostomy services. We offer the area’s only Ostomy Clinic, where providers with specialized experience provide care, education, and support to patients with a stoma.

Robotic surgery. Our surgeons are able to perform many surgeries with robotic assistance, for smaller incisions, less post-operative pain, and faster recovery.

Sacral nerve stimulation for bowel incontinence. We were the first center in the nation to implant the InterStim® device, which stimulates the sacral nerves to improve bowel control in patients with fecal incontinence.

Sphincter-sparing procedures. We are experienced in performing surgeries that help patients avoid a permanent colostomy.

TEMS. We are a national leader in Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery, an advanced technique to remove rectal tumors that improves quality of life and enables patients to frequently return home the day after surgery.

What Sets Us Apart?

Our colorectal surgeons see a wide variety of conditions—from the simple to the serious—every day. As a result, we have a greater depth of experience than most colorectal surgeons, especially in handling complex or difficult cases.

We provide the most advanced care in several important ways:

Expertise. Our specialty-trained surgeons are experts in the latest techniques, including minimally invasive surgery.

State-of-the-art treatments. Some of the surgeries we perform are not available anywhere else in the area. For example, we are the only area provider to offer TEMS, a minimally invasive procedure for rectal cancer.

Multidisciplinary care. For cancer cases, our medical oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, and other experts come together weekly to reach a consensus on the best treatment for you.

Research. As part of the only academic medical center in the region, we’re highly involved in research and clinical trials. This means you will have the most advanced treatments available to you, often years before they become widely available.

Knowledge. Our surgeons are all board-certified and have published hundreds of papers on colorectal disease and its treatments. They are at the forefront of their field and are regularly invited to speak and teach around the world.

Caring. Our commitment to patient- and family-centered care helps ensure a comfortable, understanding environment for both you and your loved ones.