Overview
What is a colorectal surgeon (proctologist)?
A colorectal surgeon is specially qualified to treat conditions of the lower gastrointestinal tract. That means your large intestine: your colon, rectum and anus. Colorectal conditions that may need surgery to manage them include cancers and polyps, pelvic organ prolapse and inflammatory bowel diseases.
A colorectal surgeon may not always advise that surgery is the best course of action. Sometimes a surgeon is consulted to give a patient and their family more options or to help determine if it might be better to wait for surgery. If you are sent by a gastroenterologist to talk to a colorectal surgeon, it doesn't always mean that you are headed for surgery.