The recovery time on any surgery is actually quite varied and it depends heavily on the extent of the surgery required to resect the tumour adequately. As you can imagine, some tumours are very small (less than 1cm) and some, enormous (more than 20cm, involving multiple organs).
Some surgeries can be performed as keyhole laparoscopic surgeries, whilst some require open laparotomies. As such, minor colon cancer surgeries are expected to have a shorter post-surgery recovery period. Larger surgeries, may require long hospital stays and closer monitoring, sometimes involving intensive care.
With larger surgeries, we have a greater risk of wound dehiscence, risk of infections, and other complications. This does not include the time required for chemotherapy and radiotherapy, stoma management and physiotherapy. All in all, these could take numerous months to years, in order to achieve an acceptable level of recovery. Please do consult a doctor, or make an appointment to see me, for a more personalized and appropriate response to the respective conditions.
Best regards
Dr Jipson Quah
