[Open colon surgery]

Open resection of the colon is one of the most frequent abdominal operations, which clearly indicates the great importance of colon carcinomas. The surgical aim is resection of the affected intestinal region and the according lymph drainage region. In this respect, the techniques employed are strictly standardized: right hemicolectomy for right colon carcinoma, transverse resection for right colon carcinoma, left hemicolectomy for descendent colon carcinoma, and sigmoid resection for sigmoid carcinoma. In case of benign underlying disease, the operational method depends largely on the extent to which the intestine is affected and can include anything from simple colotomy and polyp removal to colectomy for toxic megacolon. Elective colon surgery is usually primary, but in emergencies a protective stoma might be necessary. Standardized indication and operational techniques enable low perioperative mortality and complication rates that make open colon resection usually un-problematic even in very old patients.