Intestinal knotting refers to the abnormal twisting and folding of the intestines around themselves. Care should be taken as intestinal obstruction caused by intestinal knotting can cause very serious complications. Intestinal knotting is a condition that requires immediate medical attention. You can follow the rest of the article to get information about your questions about intestinal knotting, such as how intestinal obstruction passes, how intestinal knotting occurs, how is the nutrition in intestinal obstruction.
What is Intestinal Knotting (Intestinal Occlusion)?
The medical literature equivalent of intestinal knotting is volvulus. When volvulus occurs, a part of the intestines rotates around itself and creates intestinal obstruction by preventing both nutrition and conduction within the intestine. Symptoms that occur with the occurrence of this situation include complaints such as bloating, tension, pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation and bloody stools in the abdomen. The occurrence of intestinal knotting symptoms can occur suddenly or gradually. The knotting of the mesentery, which is responsible for the nutrition of the intestines, causes serious pain by interrupting the blood flow to this area. Impairment of the nutrition of the intestinal tissue can cause tissue loss called necrosis, and this very dangerous condition can also follow a severe course because it cannot be reversed.
Causes Intestinal Knotting (Intestinal Obstruction)?
The main cause of intestinal knotting has not been fully revealed yet. This condition is more common in older people. In some studies on intestinal knotting, it has been determined that men are more prone to this condition than women. The susceptibility to intestinal knots is especially higher in people suffering from neurological and psychiatric conditions with constipation. Although the underlying cause has not been fully elucidated, various diseases and anatomical causes are among the causes of intestinal obstruction.
Intestinal knots in newborn babies. It is caused by orientation defects of the small intestine called malrotation. Malrotation refers to a different path of the intestine in the abdomen due to a problem on the normal path of the intestines. This can cause the intestines to turn, become knotted, or obstructed. Abnormal orientation in the intestines of infants is a condition that occurs while the baby is still in the mother's womb and can be detected in approximately 1 out of every 6000 live births. In adults, knotting in the small intestine is a rare phenomenon. The region where knotting occurs in this age group is usually the large intestine and is called sigmoid volvulus.
The causes of intestinal obstruction in adults are as follows:
- Enlargement of the colon,
- Past surgery Abdominal adhesions (intra-abdominal adhesions) caused by surgery, injuries or infections,
- Diseases such as Hirschsprung's disease affecting the large intestine,
- Narrow transition areas in some parts of the colon,
- Chronic (long-term) constipation,
- Pregnancy.
What are the Symptoms of Intestinal Knotting (Intestinal Occlusion)?
Intestinal knotting symptoms can occur suddenly and intensely. In this case, people usually apply directly to the emergency services of hospitals. Symptoms that may occur with the development of volvulus can be summarized as follows:
- Pain and tenderness in the abdomen,
- Vomiting with green bile,
- Nausea,
- Abdominal tension,
- Bloody stools,
- Constipation,
- Shock.
How is the Treatment of Intestinal Knot (Intestinal Occlusion)?
Intestinal Knot Surgery
In order to correct the knotting during the operation, an incision made mostly from the midline of the abdominal wall is entered and the rotating part is corrected. By intervening in the knotted area, blood flow is restored. If the blood flow to the relevant intestinal segment does not occur for a long time and this intestinal segment has lost its vitality, the affected intestinal segment should be removed. In some cases, it may be impossible to connect the remaining healthy ends to each other due to the size of the removed intestinal segment. In such cases, intestinal flow is carried out to the outside of the body through the openings called stomata. There are various surgical procedures that can be performed within the scope of intestinal obstruction surgery. A colectomy operation is an operation that involves the removal of all or part of the intestine. In people with intestinal knotting in the lower segments, the damaged intestine is surgically removed, and then the healthy intestinal segments are tied together. It is very unlikely that knotting will occur again after this operation. Large intestine if the knotting occurs in an area of the intestine called the cecum The initial part of the sacs, cecum and ascending colon segments are surgically removed. Then, the remaining intestinal sections are connected to the small intestine and the operation is completed. In colostomy, another operation of intestinal knotting, the affected knotted intestinal segment is surgically removed from the body, as in colectomy. However, in the colostomy operation, the intestinal segments are not connected to each other and the ends of the intestines are opened outward from the abdomen. Then, the colostomy bag is connected to this opening and the digestive wastes are collected in this bag.
What Is Good for Intestinal Obstruction?
The treatment of intestinal knotting is generally provided by surgical intervention. However, in some cases, these operations may not be needed. In knots occurring in the sigmoid colon, physicians may first use the imaging method called sigmoidoscopy as a corrective procedure. Sigmoidoscopy examination is performed through a thin tube inserted through the rectum. The introduction of a small amount of air through this tube, which is advanced to the lower parts of the large intestine, may help to straighten the intestinal segment that rotates around itself. However, knots corrected in this way can often recur after a while. In this case, permanent surgical correction of intestinal knotting is required.
Nutrition after Bowel Knot Surgery
Diarrhea and fluid loss are among the most common complaints that may occur after colectomy surgery. . These complaints are due to the fact that the intestines do not function as before the operation. For this reason, easy-to-digest fruits such as bananas, apricots, peaches, melons, boiled rice, pasta, potatoes, spinach, white bread and yogurt can be preferred after the surgery.
Is Intestinal Knot Deadly?
Volvulus should be treated urgently in order to prevent the development of intestinal complications. Problems such as blood infection called sepsis, nutrient absorption problems called short bowel syndrome, infection of the peritoneal membrane covering the organs in the abdomen may occur in cases of intestinal knotting where the necessary medical intervention cannot be provided. Bowel The outcome of knotting treatment depends on the size of the intestinal segment affected by the condition and how quickly the treatment is performed. With early diagnosis and intervention, the possibility of serious complications is greatly reduced. For this reason, if you observe the signs and symptoms of intestinal knotting in yourself or around you, it is recommended to seek support from specialist physicians by applying to health institutions as soon as possible.
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