A small bowel resection is the removal of part of the small intestine. The small intestine includes the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.It may be used to treat certain cancer and precancerous diagnoses, such as polyps. It may also be used in non-cancerous cases like: bleeding, infections or severe ulcers, conditions like Crohn’s disease, regional ileitis and regional enteritis, bowel obstruction, certain birth defects, and small intestine injury. Your small bowel is 20 to 30 feet long. It consists of many tissue layers that twist and fold. This organ is where your body absorbs nutrients from the foods you eat. Removing a section of tissue typically doesn’t affect intestinal functioning.
The duodenum is removed.It is the first part of the small intestine. It joins the stomach to the small intestine and is where digestive enzymes enter the body.
The jejunum is removed.It is the middle part of the small intestine. It takes in nutrients and moves food through the bowel.
The ileum is removed.It is the last part, which joins the small and large intestines.
Laparoscopic or robotic surgery uses three to five much smaller incisions. Your surgeon first pumps gas into your abdomen to inflate it. This makes it easier to see.
They then use miniature lights, cameras, and small tools to find the diseased area, clamp it off, and remove it. Sometimes a robot assists in this type of surgery.
Open surgery requires a surgeon to make an incision in the abdomen. The location and length of the incision depend upon a variety of factors such as the specific location of your problem and build of your body.
Your surgeon finds the affected part of your small intestine, clamps it off, and removes it.
In either type of surgery, the surgeon addresses the open ends of intestine. If there’s enough healthy small bowel left, the two cut ends may be sewn or stapled together. This is called an anastomosis. It’s the most common surgery.
Sometimes the intestine can’t be reconnected. If this is the case, your surgeon makes a special opening in your belly called a stoma.
They attach the end of the intestine closest to your stomach to the wall of your belly. Your intestine will drain out through the stoma into a sealed pouch or drainage bag. This process is known as an ileostomy. The ileostomy may be temporary to allow intestine further down the system to heal completely, or it may be permanent.
