Short Bowel Syndrome: Cause, Symptoms and Treatment

It is a rare gastrointestinal disorder. The condition occurs when your small intestine is not enough or is not functioning properly. It is a complex and potentially serious malabsorptive disorder which happens when your small bowel doesn't absorb enough of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, fats and other nutrients that your body needs.

People may have short bowel syndrome due to different reasons, including having undergone a surgery to remove a major portion of small or large intestine or being born with small intestine that is missing, too short or damaged.

SBS can change over time from mild to severe, or condition may change after a surgery that may have to be performed. Patients with SBS may have mild, moderate or severe symptoms. Patients with mild symptoms may need to eat several small meals per day and sometimes need medicines to control diarrhoea. On the other hand, patients with severe symptoms may require fluids and nutrients to be given through intravenous lines in their arms or through tubes in the intestine to maintain daily nutrition levels.

What are the common symptoms of short bowel syndrome?

The most common symptom of short bowel syndrome is diarrhea. It can lead to deficiency in nutrients and dehydration or sometimes even weight loss. Other symptoms are:

• Cramping
• Gas bloating
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Vomiting

Always pay attention to your symptoms so that you can detect any changes and can discuss with your health care provider.

Tests for short bowel syndrome (SBS)

• Blood tests: They show vitamins and mineral levels and other important measures.
• Fecal fat test: This test checks the amount of fat in fecal matter. It assesses how well your body breaks down and absorbs the fat.
• X-ray of small intestine: Shows blockages or leakage.
• Barium swallow or upper GI series: During this you swallow a chalky white liquid which coats your intestine and your provider can see the size and shape of organs.
• Computed Tomography or CT scan: These tests use X rays and computers to create detailed images of your body, showing changes in intestine or obstruction.

Complications of short bowel syndrome

• Malnutrition
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Peptic ulcers
• Kidney stones
• Bacterial overgrowth

How SBS is treated?

Your care for short bowel syndrome depends upon how healthy you are, how much of small or large intestine you have and whether you have other issues like Crohn's disease.

Ease your symptoms:

• Take fluids, vitamins and nutrients you need
• Improve the way your small intestine functions
• Work closely with your health care team and follow the treatment plan
• Nutritional support is the core treatment of SBS. This means you need extra help to get the fluids and nutrients you need
• Oral hydration: You may need to drink fluids that contain minerals and salts to prevent dehydration
• Parenteral nutrition: Patient may require a needle to be placed in his veins to deliver fluids, electrolytes, vitamins and nutrition
• Enteral nutrition: This is given by inserting a small feeding tube through the nose and delivers liquid feeds into the stomach
• Medications: There are a variety of drugs which may help in different ways. For example, drugs to help your intestine absorb more nutrients, decrease diarrhea, or reduce stomach acid
• Surgery: It can help prevent blockages, preserve the length of small intestine or help lengthen it
• Intestinal transplantation: Some patients may benefit from intestinal transplant that involves replacing a part of diseased or injured intestine with a healthy intestine from a donor. This is a major surgery and providers usually recommend it when other treatments haven't worked.