Bowel obstruction is the cessation of movement of food through a person's small or large bowel. It is an absolute medical emergency that sometimes requires surgery. Because it can occur in both large and small bowel, it is divided into the two...
The Roux-En-Y gastric bypass is a surgical procedure to help you lose weight if you are obese. According to Aurora Health Care, the surgeon can use a laparoscopic (involving small incisions and special instruments) or an open (involving a large...
The duodenum is a portion of the small intestine and is responsible for absorbing nutrients from partially digested food and passing along the remainder to the rest of the intestinal system. In some cases, the duodenum can become blocked or...
Of all hospital admissions in the U.S. every year for abdominal pain, a full 15 percent result from bowel obstructions. That amounts to about 300,000 emergency admissions, and of these, 30,000 patients will die. These alarming statistics from the...
The colon, also called the large intestine, removes fluid from food as it passes through the final portion of the digestive tract. At times, a blockage occurs in the colon. Common causes of bowel obstruction in the colon include cancer, scar...
People who undergo abdominal surgery or experience chronic abdominal inflammation due to pelvic or abdominal infections or radiation therapy are at an increased risk of developing abdominal adhesions, according to the National Digestive Diseases...
Gastric surgery is the most common type of bariatric surgery performed in the United States, according to the MayoClinic.com. The purpose of a bariatric surgery is to limit the amount of food the stomach can hold, therefore decreasing weight and...
One of the most common causes of abdominal distension is overeating, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Abdominal distension is the swelling of the bowels due to excess gas, which may result from eating too much or eating...
Small bowel obstruction occurs when the intestine loses function as a result of either partial or complete blockage. Postoperative scar tissue causes most bowel obstructions and can happen anywhere from four weeks to many years after surgery. An...
Abdominal hernias usually occur when there is a weakening or defect in the muscles and tissues of the abdominal wall. When strain is placed on the abdominal wall, part of the intestines can break through the weakening wall, causing a mass to...
Miralax is a laxative, a drug used to treat constipation or bowel movements that are infrequent and hard to pass. It is manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Schering-Plough and is known by the generic name of polyethylene glycol 3350....
Constipation in infants is common due to their limited diet and immature digestive systems. In most cases, infant constipation is due to a lack of water intake or a change in diet, but frequent or severe constipation requires medical attention to...
An intestinal blockage or obstruction is the condition in which something prevents food and water from progressing through the digestive tract. The cause of an intestinal blockage can be either a mechanical obstruction (something physically in the...
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the intestinal tract. Common symptoms, such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, may be managed or prevented through dietary lifestyle changes, medications, stress relief and/or surgery. If...
The modern American diet is one low in fiber and high in protein and chemicals, which can lead to improper absorption and elimination. The colon, or large intestine, is designed to eliminate both waste and toxins; however, without proper diet or...
A colon obstruction occurs when intestinal adhesions, hernias, tumors, inflammation or other structural problems in the intestines block the passage through the large bowel. Obstructions can be partial or complete. While partial blockages can...
Intussusception is a common cause of intestinal obstruction in children. When a child has an intussusception, a segment of small intestine intermittently telescopes into the next segment of bowel. The movement of the bowel facilitates this in and...
The abdomen houses the digestive tract, liver, kidneys and several other vital organs. Abdominal pain can stem from a range of causes, most of which are transient and relatively mild. On the other hand, persistent or very severe abdominal pain can...
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that starts in the mesothelium, which is a protective layer that envelopes many internal organs. The most common sites of mesothelioma are the pleura, which surrounds the lungs and lines the chest cavity, and the...
A bowel obstruction occurs when there is a blockage in your small intestine or colon that prevents contents from moving through. An obstruction of the small intestine, or bowel, can cause painful symptoms and serious complications. Walking might...
Chemotherapy is a form of cancer treatment in which cancer fighting drugs are administered to cancer patients orally, topically or by IV or injection. Treatment with chemotherapeutic drugs can cause bowel or intestinal complications in certain...
Trauma to the abdominal cavity caused by C-section results in the formation of a type of internal scar tissue, called adhesions. Abdominal adhesions may remain asymptomatic or they can cause serious complications such as bowel obstruction,...
Colon polyps appear as raised, flat or stalk-like growths of tissue on the surface of the large intestine. Colon polyps typically don't cause cancer, but some types of polyps can become cancerous. Polyps don’t produce symptoms most of the...
Hernia describes a condition where body organs or tissue protrudes through a weakness in the abdominal wall. A noticeable bulge exists at the point of protrusion, and it can be painful and more noticeable during certain activities, such as...
Blockage of the small bowel, or small bowel obstruction, is a blockage in the small intestine that impedes the normal passage of fluid and digested material. The blockage is categorized as partial or complete. Most partial small bowel obstructions...
Small bowel obstruction occurs in the small intestine and prevents food or fluid from passing though. Pre-existing medical conditions including inflammatory bowel disease or kidney disease may increase your risk of intestinal obstruction. However,...
There are numerous rare colon diseases. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, the colon, also known as the large intestine, is a long, hollow tube at the terminal end of a person's digestive...
Colon cancer is a potentially curable disease if it is caught in early stages. This is the reason the American Cancer Society has recommended screening people starting at age 50. The symptoms of colon cancer vary according to location of the...
Endometriosis is the presence of endometrial tissue, tissue that lines the inside of the uterus, in areas other than the uterus. Endometriosis is most often found in the pelvis near the uterus, but the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the most...