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What Does "have To Be Packed In Pillows" Mean Before A Colon Cancer Surgery?

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Posted on Fri, 11 Jul 2014
Question: My friend is going to have surgery for colon cancer. The doctor's assistant told her she would have to be "packed in pillows" prior to surgery in order for her body to be in the right position for the surgery. My friend thinks this means that she will have laparoscope surgery. Is this correct?
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Answered by Dr. Grzegorz Stanko (15 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Detailed below.

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Thank you for the query.

This does not mean that she will have laparoscopy. Generally there is no special position necessary for laparoscopy or open surgery. Some minor changes in position can be done.
However if she has rectal cancer, the position needs to be different than in case of other tumor localization.
Some surgeons like to have patient in specific position so maybe this is what the doctor meant. But this does not make laparoscopy more possible.

Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions.
Regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Grzegorz Stanko

General Surgeon

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 5795 Questions

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What Does "have To Be Packed In Pillows" Mean Before A Colon Cancer Surgery?

Brief Answer: Detailed below. Detailed Answer: Hello! Thank you for the query. This does not mean that she will have laparoscopy. Generally there is no special position necessary for laparoscopy or open surgery. Some minor changes in position can be done. However if she has rectal cancer, the position needs to be different than in case of other tumor localization. Some surgeons like to have patient in specific position so maybe this is what the doctor meant. But this does not make laparoscopy more possible. Hope this will help. Feel free to ask further questions. Regards.