Bowel cancer is generally managed by excision of part of the bowel (which is just a tube) and joining the two ends of the tube back together.
Most people stay in hospital between 4-7 days.
Only rarely do patients require a bag/stoma. This is usually only if the cancer is so low it can be easily felt from the bottom, or the anal muscle is very weak.
Many bowel cancers can be excised laparoscopically. This involves a much smaller cut in the abdomen. The advantages are mostly short term and include less pain, and a shorter hospital stay. Longer term advantages include less adhesions and better cosmesis.