What is a lazy colon?

The medical term for a lazy colon is colonic inertia. A patient who has serious constipation without an obvious illness that causes constipation is likely to have a lazy colon.

A lazy colon means that the colon does not contract properly and that it retains stool. A doctor diagnoses a lazy colon with a colon transit study. A lazy colon may be treated with a medication that stimulates the colon. If the colon cannot be stimulated pharmacologically, the best option may be ileorectal anastomosis surgery. Intractable constipation caused by a lazy colon may require a total abdominal colectomy for treatment.