Department of Surgery

The Section of Colorectal Surgery comprises two board certified colon and rectal surgeons. These physicians have completed training in general surgery as well as fellowship training specializing in diseases of the small bowel, colon, rectum and anus. We emphasize compassionate, expert care of the breadth of diseases of the colon and rectum ranging from benign anal conditions such as hemorrhoids, fissures and abscess/fistula in ano disease; functional disease such as rectal prolapse, fecal incontinence and chronic constipation; inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis; and diverticulitis and its complications. We also specialize in the management and surgical treatment of colon, rectal and anal cancer. Our emphasis whenever feasible remains non-operative and minimally invasive when surgery is necessary. We perform office-based non-surgical treatment of hemorrhoids such as rubber band ligation and infrared coagulation, and we offer non-operative treatment of anal fissures such as Botox injection. When major surgery is necessary, the vast majority of patients are candidates for laparoscopic colorectal surgery resulting in smaller incisions, less pain, and faster recovery. In addition, we emphasize sphincter preserving surgery which enables patients to avoid permanent stomas or colostomies. For ulcerative colitis we perform J pouch surgery and for rectal cancer patients we perform coloanal anstomoses often with colonic J pouch which further enhances continence following surgery. In summary, the Section of Colorectal Surgery provides state of the art compassionate specialty care for patients suffering from diseases of the colon, rectum and anus.

Sandra J. Beck, MD
Associate Professor of Surgery
Phone: (859) 323-6346
E-mail: sandra.beck@uky.edu

Jon S. Hourigan, MD
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Phone: (859) 323-6346
E-mail: jshour2@uky.edu