Open AccessThe management of patients with the short bowel syndrome
Author(s) -
Cameron Platell,
Jane Coster,
Rosalie Mccauley,
John C. Hall
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
world journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.427
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 2219-2840
pISSN - 1007-9327
DOI - 10.3748/wjg.v8.i1.13
Subject(s) - short bowel syndrome , medicine , intensive care medicine , parenteral nutrition , adaptation (eye) , transplantation , glutamine , biology , neuroscience , biochemistry , amino acid
The surgeon is invariably the primary specialist involved in managing patients with short bowel syndrome. Because of this they will play an important role in co-ordinating the management of these patients. The principal aims at the initial surgery are to preserve life, then to preserve gut length, and maintain its continuity. In the immediate postoperative period, there needs to be a balance between keeping the patient alive through the use of TPN and antisecretory agents and promoting gut adaptation with the use of oral nutrition. If the gut fails to adapt during this period, then the patient may require therapy with more specific agents to promote gut adaptation such as growth factors and glutamine. If following this, the patient still has a short gut syndrome, then the principal options remain either long term TPN, or intestinal transplantation which remains a difficult and challenging procedure with a high mortality and morbidity due to rejection.