Severe bowel disease
What does the bowel do and what happens when there’s severe bowel disease?
Key points
- The bowel is involved in nutrition and fluid absorption
- Many patients with severe bowel disease require feeding into their veins
- Bowel diseases or their treatments can affect many other organs as well
How the bowel works
The gut runs from the mouth to the anus and allows food and fluid to be digested and then absorbed into the body. After the chewed food enters the stomach, it then goes into the small bowel (also called the small intestine) for further digestion and absorption.
The small bowel is usually about 12 to 20 feet (about 4 to 6 metres) in length
What's left of the food then enters the large bowel (also called the large intestine or colon). The function of the large bowel is to absorb water and to store the food waste, which is then excreted through the anus.
Severe bowel disease
There are many causes of severe bowel disease. Some examples include:
- Crohn's disease
- Lack of blood supply to the bowel
- Trauma, with removal of the small bowel
- Cancer
- Gut movement (motility) diseases
Patients with severe bowel disease will often require feeding into their veins (also called intravenous feeding). This intravenous feeding gives them the nutrients and fluid needed to survive. Intravenous feeding for a long time can cause major problems, however.
These problems may include:
- Infections of the catheters and bloodstream (sepsis)
- Narrowing and blockage of the veins
- Damage to the liver
- Episodes of severe dehydration
Bowel diseases, or the treatments needed for them, may also affect other organs. Sometimes, other organs need to be transplanted along with the bowel.
Discuss your options with your doctor
If you're considering a bowel transplant, your first step is to talk to your bowel doctor. If you and your doctor agree that a bowel transplant may be an option for you, they will arrange for you to be referred to a transplant centre.