Synonyms
Bowel obstruction; Ileus
Definition
Intestinal obstruction is a partial or complete mechanical blockage of the bowel that prevents the contents, food, and fluid from passing through the intestinal lumen. The most common cause of mechanical intestinal obstruction in industrialized countries is scar tissue − intra-abdominal adhesions − from previous operations and accounts for approximately 65–75% of cases. Other causes include foreign bodies (items that were eaten), rarely gallstones, hernias (portion of intestine protruding into a structure or muscle), intussusception where a part of bowel telescopes and is trapped by an adjacent portion of the intestine. Other causes are bowel tumors or external tumors, inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease and twisted intestine called volvulus. Impairs of venous drainage or arterial flow caused by colon twist on its mesentery is the mechanism of obstruction in volvulus.
The leading cause of small bowel obstruction is the...
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Cappell, M. S., & Bakke, M. (2008). Mechanical obstruction of the small bowel and colon. The Medical Clinics of North America, 92(3), 575–597.
Kahi, C. J., & Rex, D. K. (2003). Bowel obstruction and pseudo-obstruction. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America, 32(4), 1229–1247.
Khaikin, M., Schneidereit, N., Cera, S., et al. (2007). Laparoscopic vs open surgery for acute adhesive small bowel obstruction: Patients outcome and cost effectiveness. Surgical Endoscopy, 21(5), 742–746.
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Turnage, R. H., & Heldmann, M. (2010). Intestinal obstruction. In Sleisenger and Fordtran’s gastrointestinal and liver disease (9th ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier. Chap 119.
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Sotiropoulou, M. (2017). Intestinal Obstruction. In: Carneiro, F., Chaves, P., Ensari, A. (eds) Pathology of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40560-5_1499
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40560-5_1499
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