The large intestine is the last part of your digestive system.

Solid waste-or stool-passes through the large intestine before leaving your body through the anus.

But if part of your large intestine gets blocked or damaged by disease, the stool can't pass out of your body, and you may need surgery to remove that part.

This surgery is called bowel resection.

Bowel resection removes the diseased or damaged part of the large intestine.

During surgery, the doctor will cut and remove the blocked or damaged part of the intestine.

If the surgery is done to remove cancer or a tumor, other tissues may be removed too.

In many cases, once the damaged part is removed, the healthy parts are connected back together, either end-to-end, side-to-side, or side-to-end.

If the ends of the colon can't be reattached, you may need a colostomy to give the stool a path to leave the body.

Bowel resection can be done two ways: laparoscopically, with instruments inserted through a few small cuts, or as open surgery through one larger cut.

After your surgery, you'll spend several days in the hospital before going home.