A proctologist is a surgeon who specializes in diseases of the colon, the rectum and the anus. The current name of the specialty is colon and rectal surgery, or coloproctology, but most people still search for “proctologist”, and the word describes the same doctor.
What a proctologist treats
- Anorectal problems: hemorrhoids, anal fissures, abscesses, fistulas, anal warts and pilonidal cysts.
- Bowel function: chronic constipation, fecal incontinence and rectal prolapse.
- Colon disease: diverticulitis, polyps, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
- Cancer: screening, diagnosis and surgery for colon, rectal and anal cancer.
Not only surgery
Although the specialty is surgical, most visits end without an operation. Diet, medication and office procedures such as rubber band ligation resolve a large share of cases. Surgery is one tool among several.
What happens at the first visit
The visit starts with a conversation: what you feel, since when, your bowel habits and your family history. Then comes a brief exam of the area and, if needed, an anoscopy, a one-minute look inside the anal canal. It is done in private and with care.
When to book
- Rectal bleeding, even if it is small and painless.
- Pain, itching or a lump around the anus.
- A change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks.
- You are 45 or older and have never had a colonoscopy.
- A close relative had colorectal cancer or polyps.
Symptoms in this area are among the most postponed in medicine. Nearly all of them are easier to treat early.