Long Island – Sunday, August 25, 2002
Long Island Health Care

Expanded Treatment and Surgical Options

Colorectal surgery has evolved at NSUH/Manhasset with the acquisition of a highly sophisticated cutting/stapling device called the end-to-end anastomoser. For patients with ulcerative colitis, John A. Procaccino, MD., the chief of the division of colon and rectal surgery for NS-LIJ, is now performing a procedure involving this cutting/stapling tool that can promote nearly normal bowel control. In this “major advance,” he loops the small intestine and then cuts and staples the looped portion to create an artificial rectum, or storage organ. He said that the good news about ulcerative colitis is that with the surgical removal of the large intestine and rectum, the patient is cured. By contrast, Crohn’s disease, although it has similar symptoms, may affect any portion of the digestive system, from the mouth to the anus with the result that there is a 38 percent chance of recurrence following surgery.