Small intestinal surgery

Small intestinal surgery is a surgical therapy in which diseases of the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum are treated.

A variety of diseases can occur in the area of the small intestine that impair its function. Treatment of the small intestine may be necessary for mechanical reasons (intestinal obstruction) or due to chronic inflammatory diseases.

Treatments

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Treatments

Small intestinal diseases are treated conservatively or surgically, depending on the type of disease. Operations on the small intestine are largely performed in a minimally invasive way via a laparoscopy.

Surgical treatments

In most procedures for treating small intestine diseases, a short section of the small intestine is removed to restore its function. This is referred to as segment resection. After this procedure, there is still sufficient small intestine to ensure normal functioning of the organ.

In exceptional cases, it is necessary to create an artificial anus in the small intestine, referred to as a stoma. The stoma can help to relieve pressure on the intestine. If the treatment is unsuccessful and the ends of the intestine can no longer be connected, a permanent artificial anus is created.

Minimally invasive laparoscopy

In laparoscopy, surgery is performed with the aid of an endoscope. The surgical instruments, light sources and camera are inserted into the abdomen via several small incisions in the skin. The surgeon can now perform the procedure on the small intestine without too much injury to the soft tissue. This procedure is very efficient and protects the abdominal cavity.