Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Colectomía abierta
Open colectomy ( koh-LEK-toh-mee)
An operation to remove all or part of the colon through a long incision made in the wall of the abdomen. When only part of the colon is removed, it is called a partial colectomy.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.