Short-bowel syndrome

Abstract

Short bowel syndrome is an uncommon disease that results from extensive intestinal resection. Short bowel patients develop severe malabsorption of macronutrients, micronutrients, electrolytes and water, and pose difficult management problems. This report describes a typical patient with the short bowel syndrome and how each component of the malabsorption syndrome is managed to maintain nutritional, electrolyte, and water balance. In practice, some short bowel patients become dependent on parenteral nutrition for life, while others become independent with time due to intestinal adaptation and can be managed on oral intake and supplementations. Short bowel patients are at risk of developing gallstones, oxalate kidney stones and, rarely, d-lactic acidosis, and the pathophysiology of these disease processes is outlined. A minority of short bowel patients may ultimately require intestinal transplantation due to irreversible complications, and the current status of this intervention is reviewed. Finally, growth factors that stimulate intestinal growth and, thus, enhance absorptive capacity, are currently being identified and may eventually be introduced in the treatment of these patients.