The small bowel is almost 5 meters long and represents the essential resorption organ of the human being. Due to the large length the patient has enormous reserves and the surgeon can remove part of the small bowel without problems. Reasons to operate on the small bowel are frequently chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g. Crohn`s disease), small bowel occlusion due to adhesions or strictures and sometimes also malignant tumors.
Small bowel surgery
Many times these operations can be performed by minimally invasive surgery. The procedures can be the removal of adhesions or of segments of the small bowel. Also small bowel sparing operations such as stricturoplasties can be utilized especially if the were already previous operations on the small bowel. The main goal to remoe strictures and provide a normal transportation and digestion of food. Complications after small bowel operations are rare, however, in Crohn`s disease a little more frequent. Hospitalisation is usually about 1 week.