Shah's Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre · Ahmedabad & Gandhinagar
Colon cancer surgeon in Ahmedabad · Gota OPD, Ahmedabad · Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar
For a cancer in the descending colon, the sigmoid colon or near the splenic flexure, the operation is not chosen from a menu — it is decided by three questions, and Dr Harsh Shah answers them himself before a date is offered. Is the bowel blocked or about to be? Has the whole of the large bowel been checked for a second growth? And is the tumour stuck to anything that must come out with it? The answers decide whether you have a planned operation with a join, a stent first to buy time, or an operation that ends with a stoma. This page explains how that decision is made, what changes it, and what to ask before you sign.
Dr Harsh Shah sees you at the Gota OPD, takes the consent himself, and performs the operation at Apollo Hospital, Bhat. The plan is not one surgeon’s opinion in a corridor: every colon cancer is discussed at a multidisciplinary tumour board once staging is complete.
Shah’s Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre. Trained in super-specialty surgical gastroenterology, qualified twice over in that specialty, and with 18 years of experience in GI and cancer surgery. Operations on the colon, rectum, stomach, food pipe, pancreas and bile duct are the whole of his practice, not one line on a general surgical list.
Dr Harsh Shah
MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Registered with Gujarat Medical Council, Reg. No. G-38738
Colon Cancer Surgeon · Apollo Hospital, Bhat, Gandhinagar · Gota OPD, Ahmedabad
Google rating 4.89 from 216 reviews at the Gota clinic, and 4.94 from 17 reviews at Apollo, Bhat.
At the tumour board the surgeon, medical oncologist, radiologist and pathologist read the same colonoscopy, CT and biopsy, so that the operation you consent to is the one the whole team would choose.
A cancer of the left colon is removed together with the blood vessel that feeds that segment and the fatty tissue carrying its lymph nodes. Which vessel, and therefore how much bowel, depends on exactly where the tumour sits — which is why the colonoscopy report must name the site precisely and mark the spot with a tattoo.
| Where the tumour is | The operation | Vessel tied at its origin | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distal transverse colon or splenic flexure | Extended right or left hemicolectomy, chosen at the tumour board | Middle colic, with or without the left colic | The choice depends on where the lymph drainage runs; ask which side and why |
| Descending colon | Left hemicolectomy | Left colic | A join between the remaining colon segments; bowel habit settles over weeks |
| Sigmoid colon | Sigmoid colectomy or anterior resection | Inferior mesenteric artery, high or low tie | The join sits low in the abdomen; a covering stoma is discussed if the join is at risk |
| Any site, tumour stuck to bladder, uterus, small bowel or abdominal wall | The same operation with the adherent part removed in one piece | As above | A longer operation; the extra organ is planned for, not discovered |
Every one of these operations follows the same oncological rules: the vessel is divided at its origin, the whole envelope of fat around that segment of colon is removed intact, and enough bowel is taken on either side of the tumour. That is what gives the pathologist the lymph nodes that decide whether you need chemotherapy afterwards. Where the tumour is very low in the sigmoid, close to where the rectum begins, the plan follows rectal cancer rules instead, and Dr Harsh Shah explains that on the rectal cancer operative plan page. A cancer on the right side is a different operation altogether, described under right hemicolectomy.
A left-sided colon cancer narrows a bowel that carries solid stool, so it is more likely than a right-sided one to present as a blockage. Whether the bowel is blocked, partly blocked or free is the single biggest thing that changes the operation — and it is the question to settle first.
When the bowel is open and you are fit, the operation is planned: the bowel is prepared, the tumour and its lymph nodes are removed, and the two ends are joined. This is the route most patients take, and the one the rest of this page assumes.
When the bowel is blocked, the choice depends on how unwell you are and whether the cancer has spread. In a fit patient the tumour is usually removed at the same operation; the surgeon then decides between joining the bowel, joining it with a temporary stoma upstream to protect the join, or bringing the bowel out as a stoma and closing the lower end — the operation called Hartmann’s procedure — when the bowel is swollen, contaminated or you are unstable. In a patient who is not fit for a major emergency operation, or whose cancer has already spread, a metal stent placed through a colonoscope can relieve the blockage. It then serves either as a bridge to a planned operation a few weeks later, with the bowel cleared and the patient stronger, or as the treatment itself when an operation would not help.
A perforated bowel is different again: the tumour is removed, the abdomen is washed out, and a stoma is usually needed. Perforation also counts as a high-risk feature when the pathology report is read, whatever the lymph nodes show.
Five findings change a planned left colon operation: a second growth elsewhere in the colon, a tumour stuck to another organ, spread to the liver or lungs, the result of the mismatch repair test on the biopsy, and your own fitness and nutrition. Each is looked for before surgery, not discovered during it.
A second growth elsewhere in the colon. A small proportion of people have a second cancer or a large polyp in another part of the colon. The whole colon, right up to the caecum, has to be examined before the operation. If the tumour blocks the colonoscope, a CT colonography is done instead, or the rest of the colon is examined within a few months after the operation. Clearance of the rest of the colon is never simply left out.
A tumour stuck to a neighbouring organ. If the cancer has grown onto the bladder, the uterus, a loop of small bowel or the abdominal wall, the adherent part is removed with it in one piece. Peeling a cancer off an organ it has grown into leaves cancer behind, and turns an operation that could have cleared the disease into one that cannot. These operations are planned in advance and discussed at the tumour board.
Spread to the liver or lungs. A limited number of deposits may still be removable, either at the same time as the colon or in a separate operation. Which order is safer is a tumour board decision, never an improvised one.
The mismatch repair result. Every colon cancer biopsy is tested for mismatch repair, which screens for inherited Lynch syndrome and changes how chemotherapy and immunotherapy are used. In a tumour that is mismatch repair deficient, treatment before surgery is now being studied, and the case goes to the tumour board before a date is fixed.
Fitness, blood count and nutrition. Colon cancers bleed slowly, and many patients arrive anaemic. Anaemia is corrected, with intravenous iron if tablets will not work in time; sugar is controlled; smoking and alcohol are stopped well ahead. Patients who have lost weight or are struggling with daily activity get a short programme of nutrition and exercise first.
If there is any chance of a stoma, you are told so and consented for it every time, even when it is unlikely. On the left side the reasons for a stoma are a blocked or perforated bowel, a join that sits low or looks unsafe, and an emergency in an unstable patient — and most stomas made in those situations are temporary.
A planned left hemicolectomy or sigmoid colectomy in a prepared bowel usually ends with a join and no stoma. Before any operation where a stoma is possible, the stoma nurse marks the right position on your abdomen while you sit, stand and bend, so that if a bag is needed it sits where you can see and manage it. Before discharge you, or a family member, change the bag without help. Reversal of a temporary stoma is a smaller, planned operation once the join has healed and any chemotherapy is complete.
Families sometimes arrive told that a permanent bag is certain. For a left colon cancer above the rectum that is rarely so.
Dr Harsh Shah performs the operation himself. Laparoscopic surgery is the established standard for colon cancer, with the same cancer results as open surgery and a quicker recovery; robotic surgery is used where it helps, particularly deep in the pelvis for a low sigmoid tumour. Open surgery is the right choice for a bulky tumour, an operation that removes another organ, or an abdomen scarred by earlier surgery.
The approach is chosen for your tumour and your abdomen after the scan is read, and it is explained at consent. Moving from keyhole to open during the operation is a judgement made to keep the cancer operation complete and safe; it is not a failure, and you consent to that possibility beforehand. Whatever the approach, the rules do not change: the vessel is tied at its origin, the tumour is not handled or spilled, and the specimen comes out in one piece. Ask who will be operating on the day, and whether that remains true if the date moves.
Every risk of a left colon operation is named at the consent discussion, and the figures that apply to you — adjusted for your age, fitness, whether the operation is planned or emergency, and how advanced the tumour is — are given there, in person. The risk of dying from the operation is stated, not implied.
General risks of any major abdominal operation: bleeding needing transfusion, wound infection, clots in the leg or lung, heart or breathing problems, and a change from keyhole to open surgery. Risks specific to colon surgery: a leak from the join, which is more likely after a left-sided or sigmoid join than after a right-sided one; a bowel that is slow to start working; injury to the ureter, the tube from the kidney that runs close to the left colon; a collection of pus inside the abdomen; narrowing at the join; and the need for a temporary or permanent stoma. Later: a hernia at the scar, and bowel blockage from adhesions.
One warning is worth knowing by heart. In the days after a colon operation, a fast pulse, a fever, new abdominal pain, or a patient who was improving and then goes backwards is treated as a leak until proven otherwise — with a scan and the consultant surgeon informed at once, never watched overnight. Emergency operations carry higher risk than planned ones.
A second opinion before signing is worth taking if the whole colon has not been examined, if there is no CT of the chest, if no mismatch repair test is planned on the biopsy, if the plan was made without a tumour board, or if you have been told a permanent stoma is certain without a reason you understand.
It is also worth one if an emergency stoma is proposed for a partial blockage in a patient who is stable and could be prepared, if a tumour stuck to another organ is described as something that will be “freed”, or if spread to the liver has been called beyond surgery without a liver surgeon looking at the images.
Bring the colonoscopy report and photographs, the CT on a disc or drive rather than the report alone, the biopsy report, the CEA blood test, your blood count and kidney tests, and a list of your medicines.
★★★★★
“My wife was suffering from colon cancer. Dr harsh shah performed her surgery 1 year back. And now she is cancer free with the grace of almighty and dr harsh shah’s treatment. He treats patients as his own family member. I may blindly tell any patient to approach him. Dr. harsh. Thank you is not enough. My sincere gratitude for all the help and advice you have given to us!”
— Joseph Sibi, Google review, Gota clinic listing
★★★★★
“Met with Dr. Harsh Shah for the consultation of one of my relative. Dr. Harsh Shah is an exceptional surgical oncologist in Ahmedabad. His expertise in treating complex GI cancers like liver, pancreas, and colon cancers is truly remarkable. He explains everything clearly and gives patients full confidence in their treatment. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a skilled and compassionate cancer specialist.”
— Nagesh Patidar, Google review, Gota clinic listing
★★★★★
“(Translated by Google) Dr. Harsh Shah's personality is very nice. He always talks in a good way. He has undergone surgery for colon cancer. Without any problem. Yours faithfully.🙏 (Original) ડૉ હર્ષ શાહ નો સ્વાભાવ ખૂબ જ સરસ છે.તેઓ હમેશા સારી રીત વાત કરે છે .મોટા આંતરડા ના કેન્સર ની સર્જરી એમને કરેલ લી છે. કોઈ પ્રકાર ની તકલીફ નાથી .આપનો અભર.🙏”
— Ismailbhai Shaikh, Google review
Reviews are reproduced exactly as written on Google, including the original spelling and spacing.
A patient’s own account after laparoscopic colon cancer surgery by Dr Harsh Shah, recorded and shared with written consent.
Dr Harsh Shah explains how surgery, chemotherapy and targeted treatment fit together for colon cancer.
The final stage of a colon cancer is known only when the pathologist has examined the removed bowel. Four things in that report — how many lymph nodes were examined and whether any carry cancer, whether the margins are clear, the mismatch repair result, and any high-risk features — decide whether chemotherapy is advised.
Dr Harsh Shah goes through the report with you in person about two weeks after surgery. If no lymph nodes are involved and there are no high-risk features, surgery alone is usually enough and you move to surveillance. If lymph nodes are involved, chemotherapy is advised, ideally starting within about six to eight weeks of the operation, and the referral is made before that window closes. A low lymph node count, a tumour that had grown through the bowel wall, or a bowel that had perforated are themselves reasons to discuss chemotherapy. A tumour that is mismatch repair deficient changes this conversation again, and a genetics referral is offered where an inherited cause is possible.
Surveillance is not optional: regular blood tests for the CEA marker, scans on a written schedule, and a colonoscopy a year after the operation and at set intervals afterwards. A rising CEA with a normal scan is a reason to look again, not to wait.
The cost of left colon cancer surgery is not a single figure. It moves with the operation needed, whether it is planned or emergency, whether another organ is removed, whether a stent comes first, the room category and the length of stay. A written estimate is given before admission.
Apollo Hospital, Bhat, works with the major insurers and cashless schemes, and the insurance desk handles pre-authorisation directly. Send the policy details with your reports so the paperwork runs alongside the medical planning. If a stoma reversal is likely later, ask for both stages in the estimate.
Bring on admission: the colonoscopy and CT reports with the images, previous discharge summaries, your medicines with doses, the insurance card and identification, and one family member who will be the point of contact.
No. A planned left hemicolectomy or sigmoid colectomy in a prepared bowel usually ends with a join and no stoma. A stoma becomes likely when the bowel is blocked or perforated, when the join is low or at risk, or in an emergency, and most of those are temporary. You are consented for the possibility every time.
Not always. In a stable patient the operation can often be planned within days with the bowel decompressed. Where a major emergency operation would be risky, or the cancer has already spread, a metal stent placed through a colonoscope can relieve the blockage and act as a bridge to a planned operation.
It means the colon beyond the tumour has not been seen. A CT colonography is done before surgery, or a colonoscopy within a few months afterwards, because a second growth elsewhere in the colon must not be missed.
Yes, for most patients. Laparoscopic surgery is the established standard for colon cancer, and robotic surgery is used where it helps. Open surgery is chosen for bulky tumours, operations that remove another organ, or a heavily scarred abdomen.
That is decided by the pathology report, not before. If the lymph nodes are clear and there are no high-risk features, surgery alone is usually enough. If lymph nodes are involved, chemotherapy is advised and should start within about six to eight weeks.
Yes. It is reasonable whenever the whole colon has not been checked, there is no chest CT, no tumour board has discussed the case, or a permanent stoma has been described as certain without a clear reason. Bring the images, not only the reports.
Shah’s Gastro, Cancer & Robotic Surgery Centre — Gota, Ahmedabad
Consultations, review of scans, follow-up and surveillance.
Google: Dr Harsh Shah · 4.89 from 216 reviews
Directions to the Gota clinic · +91-63555-64601
Apollo Hospital — Bhat, Gandhinagar
Apollo Hospital International Limited, Plot No. 1 A, GIDC Bhat Industrial Estate, Bhat, Gandhinagar.
Google: Dr Harsh Shah – Robotic GI Surgeon · 4.94 from 17 reviews
Directions to Apollo, Bhat · WhatsApp +91-63555-64601
Families come to Ahmedabad for colon cancer surgery from across Gujarat — Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Himmatnagar, Palanpur, Nadiad, Anand, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Kutch — and from southern Rajasthan and western Madhya Pradesh.
Bring the colonoscopy report and the CT to the first visit. The scan images, the biopsy report and the blood results can be sent ahead of your appointment, so the consultation starts with them already read. Treatment is decided at the consultation, after examination. Call +91-63555-64601 · WhatsApp the clinic
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