This research work is aimed towards the development of a VR-based trainer for colon cancer removal, that enables the surgeons to interactively view and manipulate the concerned virtual organs as during a real minimally invasive surgery. First, we present a method for animating the small intestine and the mesentery (the tissue that connects it to the main vessels) in real-time, thus enabling user-interaction through virtual surgical tools during the simulation. We present a stochastic approach to collision detection, which provides efficient collision for highly deformable, self-colliding objects. A simple and efficient response to collisions is also introduced in order to reduce the overall animation complexity. Second, we describe a new method based on generalized cylinders for fast rendering of the intestine. An efficient curvature detection method, along with an adaptive sampling algorithm is presented. This approach, while providing improved tessellation without the classical self-intersection problem, also allows for high-performance rendering, thanks to the new 3D skinning feature available in recent graphics hardware. The rendering algorithm is also designed to ensure a guaranteed frame rate. Finally, we present the quantitative results of the simulations and describe the qualitative feedback obtained from the surgeons.