"Chronic inflammation in the intestines can cause the walls of your digestive tract to thicken or form scar tissue. This can narrow a section of intestine, called a stricture, which may lead to an intestinal blockage. A strictureplasty is a surgical procedure to repair a stricture by widening the narrowed area without removing any portion of your intestine.A bowel resection is a surgical procedure to remove a portion of your small or large intestine, that has been damaged by Crohn’s disease.During the surgery, the diseased section of your intestine is removed and the two healthy ends are joined together.
Strictureplasty
Strictureplasty is a generally safe procedure. It is most effective in the lower sections of the small intestine, called the ileum and the jejunum.
Strictureplasty is less effective in the upper section of the small intestine, called the duodenum.
Strictureplasty avoids the need to remove a section of your small intestine. It is preferred when possible, because removing portions of your small intestine cause sometimes cause other complications, including a condition called short bowel syndrome (SBS) which occurs when large sections of the small intestine are removed due to surgery (or various surgeries) and the body is unable to absorb adequate amounts of nutrients and water.
Your surgeon will make cuts lengthwise along the narrowed areas of your intestine, then sew up the intestine crosswise.
This type of incision and repair shortens and widens the affected part of your bowel, allowing food to pass through.
Your surgeon may repair several strictures during the same surgery.
Small Bowel Resection
Small intestine resections are typically recommended for patients with longer sections of damaged intestine, or when a patient is not a good candidate for strictureplasty.
The amount of small intestine to be removed depends on how much of your bowel is damaged by inflammation from Crohn’s disease.
Small intestine resections can offer you many years of symptom relief.
About 50 percent of adult patients will have a recurrence of symptomatic Crohn’s disease within five years of their resection.1 The disease usually reoccurs at the site where the healthy ends of the intestine were joined together, also known as the anastomosis.
While recurrent Crohn’s disease can often be successfully treated with medications, about half of all patients with recurrent symptoms will need additional surgeries."
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