Intestinal failure due to short bowel syndrome: impact of a multidisciplinary intestinal rehabilitation program

Background: In patients suffering intestinal failure due to short bowel, the goal of an Intestinal Rehabilitation Program is to optimize and tailor all aspects of clinical management, and eventually, wean patients off lifelong parenteral nutrition. Aim: To report the results of our program in patients suffering intestinal failure. Patients and Methods: A registry of all patients referred to the Intestinal Failure unit between January 2009 and December 2015 was constructed. Initial work up included prior intestinal surgery, blood tests, endoscopic and imaging studies. Also demographic data, medical and surgical management as well as clinical follow-up, were registered. Results: Data from 14 consecutive patients aged 26 to 84 years (13 women) was reviewed. Mean length of remnant small bowel was 100 cm and they were on parenteral nutrition for a median of eight months. Seven of 14 patients had short bowel secondary to mesenteric vascular events (embolism/thrombosis). Medical management and autologous reconstruction of the bowel included jejuno-colic anastomosis in six, enterorraphies in three, entero-rectal anastomosis in two, lengthening procedures in two, ileo-colic anastomosis in one and reversal Roux-Y gastric bypass in one. Thirteen of 14 patients were weaned off parenteral nutrition. Conclusions: Our Multidisciplinary Intestinal Rehabilitation Program, allowed weaning most of the studied patients off parenteral nutrition.