Colon and Rectal Surgery

Mayo Clinic colon and rectal surgeons actively develop and refine procedures used to treat gastrointestinal conditions, including colon and rectal cancer. Mayo Clinic researchers continually study new diagnosis and treatment options for people with all types of conditions and conduct clinical trials.

Mayo Clinic colorectal surgeons are leaders in research on colon and rectal cancers, colon polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, and the application of minimally invasive surgery to treat colorectal diseases.

Colon and rectal surgeons primarily measure clinical outcomes related to disease-specific outcomes. By evaluating the safety and processes of care, Mayo Clinic surgeons have become leaders in defining multidisciplinary best practices.

Their work on complex pelvic tumors, laparoscopic cancer surgery, intraoperative radiation therapy, robotic and minimally invasive surgery, ileoanal pouch (ileal pouch-anal anastomosis), ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease has made them leaders in research on outcomes.

Among other accomplishments, Mayo Clinic colorectal surgeons:

• Pioneered the procedure to remove the diseased colon and rectum and reconnect the intestines to the anus (ileoanal anastomosis) so that one can continue to eliminate wastes normally
• Performed and reported on the first 100 laparoscopic ileal pouch-anal anastomosis
• Performed and reported on the largest series of multivisceral resections for cancer
• Performed and reported on the largest series of recurrent cancers
• Performed the first single-incision colectomy, which is the removal of the entire colon through a single small incision around the navel
• Specialize in developing nerve and sphincter-sparing procedures that preserve healthy tissue and normal function
• Creatively treat recurrent cancers with intraoperative radiation therapy

Mayo Clinic colon and rectal surgeons are developing new programs in microbiome research, young-onset cancers, stem cell research and natural language processing. These efforts will position Mayo surgeons to define new standards of care based on new technologies.

Publications

See a list of publications by Mayo Clinic physicians on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.

Colorectal research trainee positions

Read more about research trainee positions at Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota.

Research Profiles