The small intestine is the longest part of the digestive system, roughly twenty to twenty-five feet long, folded many times over to fit inside the abdomen. It connects the stomach to the colon and does most of the work of digesting what you eat. It has three parts: the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum.
Conditions affecting the small bowel
- Crohn's disease
- Coeliac disease
- Bleeding from the small bowel
- Small bowel tumours
- Infections
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Intestinal obstruction
- Ulcers, including peptic ulcer disease
Not all of these need an operation. Where surgery is indicated it usually involves removing a diseased or narrowed segment, releasing an obstruction, or dealing with a fistula. Wherever possible this is done laparoscopically.
Professor El-Khoury will talk through the operation with you in the rooms, covering why it is being recommended, what it involves, the risks and the benefits. He also provides Royal Australasian College of Surgeons information sheets on the procedure so you can read them at home and bring questions back.
This page is general information, not medical advice. What applies to you depends on your history, your examination and your results. Bring your questions to the consultation.