5 Facts you should know about

Short bowel syndrome

Short bowel syndrome (SBS, or simply short gut) is a malabsorption disorder caused by a lack of functional small intestine

Most cases are due to the surgical removal of a large portion of the small intestine

In children the main causes include necrotizing enterocolitis, intestinal atresias, and intestinal volvulus

Various nonoperative procedures, such as radiation enteritis, can leave patients with a functional short-bowel syndrome

Disease, traumatic injury, vascular accident, or other pathology that leaves less than 200 cm

of viable small bowel or results in a loss of 50% or more of the small intestine places the patient at risk for developing short-bowel syndrome

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