Type of Surgery
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Last updated: 02/17/2009
Meckel's diverticulum is an intestinal diverticulum (pouch) that results from the inability of the vitteline (umbilical) duct to close at five weeks of embryonic development. The vitteline duct is lined with layers of intestinal tissue containing cells...
that can develop into many different forms, called pluripotent cells. Meckel's diverticulum is a benign congenital condition that has no symptoms for some people, and develops complications in others.
Ninety percent of diverticula are close to the ileocecal valve in the upper intestine, and tissue made up predominantly of gastric and pancreatic cells is thought to cause chemical changes in the mucosa, or lining of the intestines.
The most common cells found in the mucosa of diverticula are gastric cells (present in 50% of all Meckel's diverticulum cases). The highly acidic secretions of gastric tissue may cause the early symptoms of Meckel's diverticulum. The alkaline secretions of pancreatic tissue are also thought to be a source of diverticula inflammation in a small number—about 5%—of cases.
Inflammation of the diverticula or infection of the intestines around the diverticula results in a condition known as diverticulitis, which may be treated with antibiotics. However, when it is acute and causes obstructions and bleeding, surgery is the treatment of choice.
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Meckel's diverticulectomy is surgery to remove an abnormal pouch (Meckel's diverticulum) in the wall of the small intestine.
The procedure is done while you are under general anesthesia, which means you are asleep and feel no pain during the procedure. The surgeon makes a cut into right side of the lower abdomen and located the small intestine. The diverticulum is removed. Sometimes a small part of the intestine may need to be removed along with the diverticulum. In this case, the ends of each part of the intestine are sewn back together.
From http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002929.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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