What Do Children Look Like After Longitudinal Intestinal Lengthening?

Abstract

The longitudinal intestinal lengthening, described by Bianchi in 1980, has been shown to be effective in improving intestinal function, absorption and transit time in patients with short-bowel syndrome. We report the long-term results of 18 survivors of a series of 25 intestinal lengthening procedures performed since 1984. Mean age of the patients was 18 months (range of 5 to 52 months), mean follow-up 6 years (0.9 to 12 years). Parenteral nutrition was progressively reduced in all patients and discontinued after 1 to 10 months (mean 5.1 months). Frequently encountered problems during long-term follow-up are hyperphagia, hyponatremia and hypochloremia, metabolic acidosis, including D-lactic acidosis, cholelithiasis and urolithiasis, gastro-esophageal reflux, dystrophy and symptoms caused by secondary dilatation of the lengthened bowel loops: a protruding abdomen, enteral stasis, leading to constipation or diarrhea with bacterial overgrowth. Overall performance has been acceptable in 13 out of 18 patients. Longitudinal intestinal lengthening is effective enabling patients with short-bowel syndrome to be weaned from parenteral nutrition, allowing for long-term survival. However, it is only one step on a long and difficult way. Multiple problems have to be searched for and adequately dealt with to achieve an acceptable and future worth living.