Hartmann's Operation

Hartmann's operation, also called a proctosigmoidectomy or Hartmann's procedure, is the surgical resection of the rectosigmoid colon with closure of the anorectal stump and formation of an end colostomy, removing the affected section of bowel and creating an opening for waste elimination. It was originally used for colon cancer or inflammation related conditions, though current use is now largely limited to emergency situations where immediate reconnection of the bowel is not feasible, or occasionally for palliative care in colorectal cancer patients. French surgeon Henri Albert Hartmann first described the technique in 1921 at a surgical congress and detailed it fully in his 1931 book Chirurgie du Rectum.