A surgical procedure in which all or part of the colon (the large intestine) is removed, typically to treat cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, or other conditions.
Greek medical term combining 'kolon' (colon) and '-ectomy' (from 'ektomē' meaning cutting out); standardized in English medical terminology in the late 1800s.
Surgeons performing colectomies must understand how the remaining intestines will work together—if they remove too much, patients can struggle with digestion, but removing too little might leave disease behind, making it one of surgery's most strategic decisions!
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