Type of Surgery
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Last updated: 02/17/2009
Approximately 300,000 intestinal obstruction repairs are performed in the United States each year. Among patients who are admitted to the hospital for severe abdominal pain, 20% have an intestinal obstruction. While bowel obstruction can affect individuals...
of any age, different conditions occur at higher rates in certain age groups. Children under the age of two, for example, are more likely to present with intussusceptions or congenital defects. Elderly patients, on the other hand, have a higher rate of colon cancer.
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Intestinal obstruction repair is surgery to relieve a bowel obstruction. A complete obstruction, no matter what the cause, is a surgical emergency.
When a blockage occurs in the bowel (intestine), stool is unable to move through. Gas is trapped within the bowel, causing swelling and abdominal distention. The obstruction also interrupts normal blood flow, which can cause portions of the bowel to die. When parts of the bowel die, fluids and bacteria from the bowel can leak into the abdominal area, causing a life-threatening infection called peritonitis.
From http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002927.htm
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Biliary colic is the presenting symptom in 80% of patients with gallstone disease who seek medical care; however, only 10-20% of all individuals with gallstones experience severe gallstone pain.
From: eMedicine
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