Type of Surgery
Information
Last updated: 11/24/2009
As with any surgery, the patient is required to sign a consent form. Details of the procedure are discussed with the patient, including goals, technique, and risks. Blood and urine tests, along with various imaging tests and an electrocardiogram (EKG),...
may be ordered as required. To prepare for the procedure, the patient is asked to completely clean the bowel and is placed on a low residue diet for several days prior to surgery. A liquid diet may be ordered for at least the day before surgery, with nothing taken by mouth after midnight. Preoperative bowel preparation involving mechanical cleansing and administration of antibiotics before surgery is the standard practice. This involves the prescription of oral antibiotics (neomycin, erythromycin, or kanamycin sulfate) to decrease bacteria in the intestine and help prevent postoperative infection. A nasogastric tube is inserted through the nose into the stomach on the day of surgery or during surgery. This removes the gastric secretions and prevents nausea and vomiting. A urinary catheter (thin tube inserted into the bladder) may also be inserted to keep the bladder empty during surgery, giving more space in the surgical field and decreasing chances of accidental injury.
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Despite being less than a minute long, this narrated animation explains the fate of food that we eat within the digestive tract.
To remove a diseased portion of the small intestine, an incision is made into the abdomen, and the area to be treated is pulled out (A). Clamps are placed around the area to be removed and the section is cut (B). Three layers of sutures repair the remaining bowel (C). (Illustration by GGS Inc.)
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Other Information
A small bowel resection is the surgical removal of a diseased section of the small intestines. A small bowel resection may be performed to treat the following problems:
• Crohn’s Disease
• Tumor
• Gangrene
• Obstruction – incarceration in a hernia
• Trauma
The small bowel resection can be performed laparoscopically using long, thin instruments inserted through small incisions. During the procedure, the diseased section of the small intestine is stapled and removed. The bowel is then reconnected to reestablish the continuity of the digestive tract.
Other Information
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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