Colorectal Surgery

Colorectal Surgery performed by
one of the nation's leading specialists

Colorectal surgery is defined as the surgical treatment of conditions of the colon, rectum and anus. Advanced Surgical Care has two colorectal surgeons on staff that can treat a variety of conditions, Dr. David Ondrula and Dr. Jill Motl.

Dr. Ondrula, our board-certified expert colorectal surgeon has performed more than 2,000 minimally invasive and laparoscopic colon resections. He specializes in evaluating and treating colitis, hemorrhoids, Crohns, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, diverticulitis, obstruction, ischemia, colonic endoscopy, and colonic neoplasms such as polyps.

Dr. Ondrula’s specialties include:

Cancer Screening
Cancer Surgery
Colorectal Cancer
Gastric Cancer
Benign and Malignant Soft Tissue Tumors

Dr. Motl is a fellowship-trained colorectal and general surgeon. She specializes in minimally invasive and robotic surgery using the da Vinci surgical system, which provides a 3D high definition view inside the patient’s body. Dr. Motl treats patients with a broad range of benign and malignant pathology including:

Colon and Rectal Cancer
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Diverticular Disease
Pelvic Floor Disorders
Anorectal Disease

Screening for Colon and Rectal Cancer

At Advanced Surgical Care, we recommend screening for colon and rectal cancer —also called colorectal cancer—starting at age 45 if you don’t have health problems or risk factors that make you more likely to develop colon cancer.

You have risk factors for colorectal cancer if you:

are male
are African American
have a personal history of inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
have Lynch syndrome or another genetic disorder that increases the risk of colorectal cancer
have other factors, such as that you are overweight or smoke cigarettes
have a history of polyps or someone in your family has had polyps or colorectal cancer

If you are more likely to develop colorectal cancer, Dr Ondrula may recommend screening at a younger age, and more often.

If you are older than age 75, talk with Dr Ondrula about whether you should be screened.

About a Colonoscopy Procedure

How do I prepare for a colonoscopy?

To prepare for a colonoscopy, you will need to talk with Dr. Ondrula, change your diet for a few days, clean out your bowel, and arrange for a ride home after the procedure.

You should talk with Dr. Ondrula about any health problems you have and all prescribed and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and supplements you take, including:

arthritis medicines
aspirin or medicines that contain aspirin
blood thinners
diabetes medicines
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen
vitamins that contain iron or iron supplements

Changing Your Diet and Cleaning Out Your Bowel

The staff at Advanced Surgical Care, will give you written bowel prep instructions to follow at home before the procedure so that little or no stool remains in your intestine. A complete bowel prep lets you pass stool that is clear and liquid. Stool inside your intestine can prevent your doctor from clearly seeing the lining.

You may need to follow a clear liquid diet for 1 to 3 days before the procedure. You should avoid red and purple-colored drinks or gelatin. The instructions will include details about when to start and stop the clear liquid diet. In most cases, you may drink or eat the following:

fat-free bouillon or broth
gelatin in flavors such as lemon, lime, or orange
plain coffee or tea, without cream or milk
sports drinks in flavors such as lemon, lime, or orange
strained fruit juice, such as apple or white grape—avoid orange juice
water

Different bowel preps may contain different combinations of laxatives—pills that you swallow or powders that you dissolve in water or clear liquids. Some people will need to drink a large amount, often a gallon, of liquid laxative over a scheduled amount of time—most often the night before and the morning of the procedure.

The bowel prep will cause diarrhea, so you should stay close to a bathroom. You may find this part of the bowel prep hard; however, finishing the prep is very important. Call a health care professional if you have side effects that keep you from finishing the prep.

Dr. Ondrula will tell you how long before the procedure you should have nothing by mouth.

Arrange for a ride home

For safety reasons, you can’t drive for 24 hours after the procedure, as the sedatives or anesthesia need time to wear off. You will need to make plans for getting a ride home after the procedure.

Source in Part: NIDDK

How do doctors perform a colonoscopy?

Dr. Ondrula performs a colonoscopy in a hospital or an outpatient center. A colonoscopy usually takes 30 to 60 minutes.

A health care professional will place an intravenous (IV) needle in a vein in your arm or hand to give you sedatives, anesthesia, or pain medicine, so you won’t be aware or feel pain during the procedure. The health care staff will check your vital signs and keep you as comfortable as possible.

For the procedure, you’ll lie on a table while the doctor inserts a colonoscope through your anus and into your rectum and colon. The scope inflates your large intestine with air for a better view. The camera sends a video image to a monitor, allowing the doctor to examine your large intestine.

The doctor may move you several times on the table to adjust the scope for better viewing. Once the scope reaches the opening to your small intestine, the doctor slowly removes the scope and examines the lining of your large intestine again.

Colorectal Surgeon

David P Ondrula MD, FACS, FASCRS

Jill Motl MD