Colorectal Surgery - Duke University Medical Center

Digestive Function
Let us look at the normal digestive system so you can understand the type of surgery you are
having.
Food travels to the belly through a long tube called the esophagus. Enzymes in the belly break
the food into smaller pieces. By the time the food has moved into the small intestine, it is
mostly liquid. The small intestine absorbs the nutrients from this liquid. What is not needed
passes into the large intestine (the colon). The primary function of the colon is to absorb water
and make the waste (stool) more solid. Some vitamins are absorbed in the colon. Stool then
passes through your rectum and out of your body through your anus.
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