Crohns Disease: Life After Surgery
It is an unfortunate reality that many people suffering from
Crohn's disease will require surgery to rectify obstructions in
the intestine. This surgery is often unplanned due to the fact
that it is usually conducted at short notice and under emergency
conditions. There are many horror stories that describe
sufferers of Crohn's disease being rushed to hospital with
abdominal pains and waking up after having 18 inches of their
intestines removed. Sadly, medical professionals are yet to find
a cure for Crohn's disease and therefore surgeons are left to
deal with symptoms when they are otherwise impossible to treat.
http://www.crohns247.com If surgery is unavoidable however, it
is possible to reclaim a normal life depending on the extent of
the surgery and how much of the intestines were removed.
Surgery to rectify and intestinal obstructions or blockages from
sufferers of Crohn's disease can be divided into two categories,
small intestine surgery and large intestine surgery.
After small intestine surgery, the bowel is capable of
increasing its absorptive capacity to compensate for the loss of
the removed section of the intestine. Therefore, by allowing the
intestines to heal properly and adjust to the changes, a person
with Crohn's can return to life as normal. This includes a
return to the regular diet that was consumed before surgery was
performed. In severe cases where a more significant amount of
the intestine is removed, the remaining intestine may be unable
to fully compensate for the loss of surface area. The obvious
alternative to an underperforming intestine is to increase the
caloric value of food that is consumed. http://www.1crohns.com
This should balance the deficit in food absorption and reduce
the amount of weight that is lost as a result of the surgery. In
cases of severe Crohn's disease, food supplements may need to be
delivered to the stomach via a tube or alternatively, into the
blood stream.
Following large intestine surgery, a special diet of high
caloric value is rarely needed. This is due to the fact that
much of the function of the large intestine is related to water
absorption. The initial diet following the operation will most
likely be dominated by liquids and slowly transition back to a
regular diet. In cases where the whole intestine is removed, an
ileostomy will be formed using the surrounding tissue. Due to
the function of the colon in absorbing water and salt, both will
need to be consumes in higher amounts.