Intestinal Obstruction And Surgeries!

The digested food particles in our intestine are constantly in motion. Intestinal obstruction can hamper the normal movement of the particles and cause many other complications. In this case, the small or large intestine is blocked. All the fluids, food, gastric acids and gas accumulate at the place of blockage.

If the pressure builds up in this area, harmful bacteria and other intestinal contents may leak into the abdominal cavity. These blocked parts of the intestine can lead to serious health problems like blockage of the bowel.

Causes

The most common reasons for intestinal obstruction are as follows –
• After a pelvic or an abdominal operation, strands of fibrous tissues may form in the abdominal cavity that could lead to intestinal blockage
• Among children, it is mostly caused due to intussusceptions
• Colon cancer
• Bowel inflammation diseases such as the Crohn’s disease
• Volvulus where the intestines get twisted
• Small intestine tumours
• Impacted Stool
• Malformations in the intestinal region, especially in newborn children may cause blockage
• Diverticulitis, where small pouches are infected and may get swollen
• Hernia
• Bloating
• Diarrhoea

There is another condition called paralytic ileus or pseudo-obstruction of the intestine, where the regular muscle contractions of the region are interrupted due to neural or muscle complications. This slows down the movement of food and fluids in the intestine.

Symptoms

The symptoms that are usually observed in this case are –
• Swelling in the abdominal area
• Loss of appetite
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Inability to pass gas
• Improper bowel movement

Treatment

The treatment depends on the type of obstruction you are suffering from and its severity. In the case of paralytic ileus, the doctor might give you intravenous fluids and instruct you to rest your bowels. You will not be given food, only clear liquids. The fluids are given to prevent dehydration and balance the electrolytes in the intestine
For children suffering from intussusceptions, air enema or barium is used for treatment. Here, barium is passed into the intestine through a small tube inserted into the rectum
For partial obstruction where some fluids or food can pass through the intestine, the doctor may prescribe you a low fibre diet that will ease up the blockage.

Surgery
Surgery will be needed if all the measures mentioned above fail and the situation becomes worse. In that case, you will have to stay in the hospital. You will be given IV fluids to prevent any kind of shock during the operation.
The surgeon may operate and remove the part of the intestine that is damaged or dead tissues that are causing the blockage. The healthy ends of the intestine will then be joined by stitches.

Another method of treating this is through a metal stent. Using an endoscope placed into your colon or mouth, a wire mesh tube is put inside the colon. It clears the obstructions by forcing the colon open.
Intestinal obstruction may cause the affected tissue in the intestine to die if left untreated. It can create a hole or infection in the intestinal walls. Therefore, consult a specialist at the earliest if you are facing the symptoms mentioned earlier.