Small Intestine Cancer Surgeon in Kolkata
Small Bowel Obstruction
A small bowel obstruction refers to a blockage or partial blockage of the small intestine. This is part of the digestive system. Many things can cause small bowel obstruction, including adhesions and hernia. We will discuss symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
What is the small bowel?
The small bowel (also called the small intestinale) is approximately 1 inch in diameter and measures 20-30 feet long. Many folds allow it to fit in the abdominal cavity. The small bowel connects to the stomach at one end and the large intestine at the other.
The small intestine is made up of three parts: the jejunum, the duodenum and the ileum. The stomach passes partially digested food to the small intestinale where it is processed further. Its lining absorbs nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and water.
What is small bowel obstruction?
A small bowel obstruction can be a partial or total blockage of the small intestinal tract. Normal functioning of the small bowel means that digested foods will flow to the large intestinale. A blockage in the small bowel can prevent contents from moving through. It can cause waste matter and gas buildup in the area above the obstruction. It can also affect the absorption and use of nutrients.
What are the signs of small bowel obstruction?
These symptoms may be signs of small bowel obstruction:
Pain and cramps in the abdomen (stomach).
Bloating
Vomiting
Nausea
Dehydration
Malaise is a general feeling of sickness.
Insatiable appetite
Grave constipation. Complete obstruction means that a person cannot pass stool (feces or gas) in cases of severe constipation.
What causes small bowel obstruction?
All ages can experience small bowel obstruction. There are several risk factors and common causes of small bowel obstruction, including:
Adhesions are scar tissue bands that can form following abdominal or pelvic surgery. The most common risk factor for small intestinal obstruction in the United States is an earlier abdominal procedure.
Hernias: A portion of the intestine can break through the abdominal wall. If the bowel is tightly or trapped in the area where it protrudes through the abdominal wall, this can create a bulge. The second most common cause for small bowel obstruction in the United States is hernias.
Inflammatory disease: Small intestine damage can be caused by inflammation, such as Crohn’s Disease or Diverticulitis. Other complications include narrowing or tunnel-like openings in the bowel (strictures), and abnormal fistulas.
Malignant (cancerous tumors): A small proportion of small bowel obstructions are caused by cancer. The majority of tumors do not originate in the small intestinal tract. They spread to the small bowel via the colon, female reproductive organs and breasts.
Small Bowel Cancer
What is Small bowel cancer?
A rare form of cancer, small bowel cancer, occurs in the small intestinal tract. The small intestine, also known as the small bowel (or simply the small bowel), is a tube that transports food from your stomach to your large intestine (colon).
It is responsible for absorbing and digesting nutrients from foods. It also produces hormones that aid in digestion. Your body’s germ-fighting immune defense system is also influenced by the small intestine. It contains cells that combat bacteria and viruses.
What are the types of Small bowel cancer?
There are several types of small bowel cancer:
Adenocarcinoma
Neuroendocrine tumors include paraganglioma and carcinoid tumors
Lymphoma
Sarcoma includes gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST).
The type and stage of your small bowel cancer will determine which treatment options you should choose.
What are the symptoms of Small bowel cancer?
These are the signs and symptoms of small-bowel cancer.
Abdominal pain
Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and whites of your eyes.
Feeling tired or unusually weak
Nausea
Vomiting
Weight loss without having to try
There might be blood in the stool that may appear red or black.
Watery diarrhea
Facial flushing
What are the causes of Small bowel cancer?
Small bowel cancer is generally caused by DNA mutations in healthy cells. The instructions in a cell’s DNA tell it what to do.
Healthy cells are able to grow and divide in a normal way, which is important for maintaining a healthy body. When a cell’s genome is damaged or becomes cancerous, it continues to divide even when no new cells are needed. These cells can accumulate and form a tumor.
Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body and infuse healthy tissue. Cancerous cells can also spread to other parts of your body (metastasize).
Crohn's Disease
What is Crohn's Disease?
Crohn’s disease is most common in the small intestine, colon and stomach. It can affect any part your gastrointestinal tract (GI) tract from the mouth to you anus. It can affect certain parts of your GI tract, while other parts may be affected.
Crohn’s disease can be mild or severe. The symptoms can vary and may change over time. The disease can cause life-threatening complications and flare-ups in severe cases.
What is the symptoms of Crohn's Disease?
Crohn’s disease symptoms often appear gradually. Some symptoms can also get worse over time. It is possible for symptoms to suddenly appear, but it is rare. Crohn’s disease symptoms can start as early as:
diarrhea
Abdominal cramps
Blood in your stool
Fever
Fatigue
Appetite loss
weight loss
Feeling like your bowels don’t feel empty after a bowel movements
Feeling a constant need to bowel movement
Gastrointestinal Carcinoid Tumor in the Small Intestine
What is small intestinal carcinoid tumor?
Surgery is the most popular treatment for small intestinal carcinoid tumors. This involves the complete removal of all cancerous tissue. Surgery can be very effective if the tumors are caught early and treated promptly. Sometimes, surgery can be performed endoscopically. For larger tumors, it may be necessary to have local excision and removal of lymph nodes.
Treatment for tumors that have spread to other parts of your body may be required, such as chemotherapy or hormone therapy.
What is Treatment for small intestine cancerid tumors?
It can be difficult for carcinoid tumors to be detected because they are often not visible until they spread or grow. Symptoms from GI carcinoid cancer can be vague. These symptoms can include nausea, fatigue, stomach pain, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. They are often misdiagnosed with other conditions.
Mesenteric ischemia
Mesenteric ischemia, also known as mez-un-TERik is KEE-meh, occurs when blood flow to the small intestine is restricted by narrowed or blockedarteries. The small intestine can be permanently damaged if blood flow is reduced.
A blood clot can cause sudden loss of blood flow to small intestines (acute mesenteric Ischemia). This requires immediate surgery. Chronic mesenteric ischemia, which develops over time (chronic), can be treated by open or angioplasty.
Chronic mesenteric ischemia, if left untreated can lead to acute weight loss or malnutrition.
What is Signs of Mesenteric ischemia?
Acute mesenteric ischemia
The following are signs and symptoms of acute mesenteric Ischemia:
Extreme, sudden abdominal pain
Urgent need for bowel movements
Fever
Nausea and vomiting
Chronic mesenteric Ischemia
The following are signs and symptoms of chronic mesenteric Ischemia:
Abdominal pain that begins approximately 30 minutes after eating
Pain that gets worse over an hour
Within one to three hours, pain disappears
FAQ about Small Intestine Cancer
How long does it take for small intestine surgery to heal?
After 1 to 2 weeks, you should feel more comfortable and your bowel movements will return to normal within 2 to 4 weeks. For several weeks, your bowel movements might not be as regular. You may also have blood in your stool. This care sheet will give you an idea of how long it will take to heal.
Are intestines able to grow back after surgery?
The human body’s most regenerative organ, the intestine, regenerates its epithelium every five to seven day. The epithelium can withstand the constant wear it experiences while digesting food, absorbing nutrients and eliminating waste
What is intestinal surgery?
Colectomy is a procedure that removes all or part your colon. The colon is part of your large intestinal tract and is a tube-shaped organ that runs along the end of your digestive system. To treat or prevent certain conditions and diseases that may affect your colon, a colectomy may be required.