Small bowel resection
Alternate Names : Small intestine surgery, Bowel resection - small intestine, Resection of part of the small intestine, Enterectomy
After the Procedure
You will be in the hospital for 3 to 7 days. You may have to stay longer if your surgery was an emergency operation. You also may need to stay in longer if a large amount of your small intestine was removed, or if you develop any other problems. By the second day, you will most likely be able to drink clear liquids. Your doctor or nurse will slowly add thicker fluids and then soft foods as your bowel begins to work again.
If a large amount of your small intestine was removed, you may need to receive liquid nutrition through a tube for a period of time. First you will have a tube that delivers nutrition into your veins, and then you will have a feeding tube that goes into your stomach.
Prognosis
Most people who have a small bowel resection recover fully. Even with an ileostomy, most people are able to do most activities they were doing before their surgery. This includes most sports, travel, gardening, hiking, and other outdoor activities, and most types of work. If a large part of your small intestine was removed, you may have problems with loose stools and getting enough nutrients from the food you eat. If you have a chronic condition, such as cancer, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, you may need ongoing medical treatment.
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