Last updated: 04-Nov-2026
Told you have rectal cancer and unsure who should operate? Message Dr Harsh Shah’s team on WhatsApp. · Call +91-63555-64601
Dr Harsh Shah
MS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology), DrNB (Surgical Gastroenterology)
Registered with Gujarat Medical Council, Reg. No. G-38738
Gastro & Cancer Surgeon · Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad
18 years of experience in operating on the rectum, colon, stomach, liver and pancreas. He was trained at Maulana Azad Medical College and GB Pant Hospital in Delhi.
In short
Choose a surgeon who treats bowel cancer often, plans your care with a team, and tells you plainly what the operation will mean for your bowel habits. The rectum sits deep in the pelvis, so who operates changes the result.
You are allowed to ask questions, see another surgeon and take a few days. Rectal cancer is rarely decided in a single afternoon.
The full approach to this cancer is on the rectal cancer surgery with Dr Harsh Shah page. This page helps you choose who should do it.
The rectum is a narrow space between the pelvic bones, close to the bladder, nerves and the muscle that keeps you continent. Clearing the cancer fully in that space takes training and routine.
Colon cancer can be removed in open space. Rectal cancer is different. The surgeon must remove the rectum with its surrounding fat and lymph glands in one clean package, while protecting the nerves that control urine and sexual function. A clean removal lowers the chance of the cancer coming back in the pelvis.
| What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Training in bowel and gastro cancer surgery | Pelvic work needs a surgeon who does this kind of operation regularly, not once in a while. |
| A team that meets before the plan | Surgeon, oncologist, radiologist and pathologist agree on the order of treatment. |
| A pelvic MRI that is read with you | It shows how close the growth is to the muscle of the rectum and the edge of the pelvis. |
| Both keyhole and open options | The route is chosen for your body and your stage, not to suit the surgeon. |
| Straight talk about a stoma | A temporary or permanent bag is sometimes needed. You should hear this before, not after. |
| Care after the operation | Bowel habit changes, diet and check-ups should be planned, not left to chance. |
If you also want to see how surgeon choice works for other bowel and stomach cancers, read how to choose a stomach cancer surgeon.
A surgeon who is sure of the plan does not mind questions. Write them down and take a family member along.
Counting numbers is not the whole answer, so listen also to how clearly the plan is explained to you.
Be careful if you are pushed to decide at once, or if nobody has looked at a pelvic MRI.
None of these means the surgeon is poor. They mean you need more clarity before you agree. For tumours that sit behind the rectum, see retrorectal and presacral tumour surgery.
Dr Harsh Shah sees patients at Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad. Bring your scans, scope report and biopsy report. He will go through them with you, explain the plan in plain words and answer what you ask.
Rectal surgery is demanding work in a tight space. A surgeon trained in gastro and cancer surgery, who does it regularly, is a safer choice than someone who operates on the rectum only occasionally.
Yes. A good surgeon will not object. Take your scans and reports along so that the second surgeon does not need to repeat tests.
You can discuss it. The route depends on the stage, the site of the growth and your general health. Your surgeon should explain why one is advised for you.
A few days to a couple of weeks is usually reasonable once staging is complete. Your surgeon will tell you if your case cannot wait.
Not always. It depends on how low the growth is and how the join heals. A temporary stoma is sometimes used to protect the join, and it is usually reversed later.
Dr Harsh Shah — Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Vasna, Ahmedabad
Dr. Jivraj Mehta Hospital, Dr Jivraj Mehta Marg, Vasna, Ahmedabad 380007.
Consultations, review of reports and scans, operations and follow-up. OPD Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm.
Appointments: +91-63555-64601 · +91-63590-11009 · Hospital 079-2663 6363
Directions to the hospital · WhatsApp +91-63555-64601
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