The small bowel, also known as the small intestine, is the organ that connects the stomach to the large intestine. It's responsible for a variety of functions, from absorbing nutrients to producing mood-regulating chemicals. When the small bowel isn't working as it should, it can cause a variety of problems.
Small bowel, big impact
Don't let the name fool you: there's nothing "small" about your small bowel. It's a tube-like organ that's even longer than an adult giraffe.
Your small bowel plays a big role in your gastrointestinal health, too. If you or your doctor believe you're dealing with a condition related to your small intestine, our team of experts will work with you to identify your discomfort and help you feel like yourself again.
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Conditions
There are a variety of diseases and cancers that can affect the small bowel, including:
Celiac disease
Crohn's disease
Dieulafoy lesions
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage
Intestinal cancer
Malignancy
NSAID enteropathy
Ulceration
Ulcerative disease
Testing
There are many ways to treat small bowel diseases. But to solve the problem, we have first to get an inside look at your small bowel. That's why we work hand in hand with our colleagues in radiology.
Video capsule endoscopy
The small bowel's shape and size can make it challenging to evaluate thoroughly. Our specialists have worked hard to perfect a new, state-of-the-art video capsule endoscopy technology to work around this.
A video capsule endoscopy is the least invasive and most effective way to examine the small intestine. All you have to do is swallow a pill-sized camera that snaps 55,000 images over 8 hours.
Depending on your symptoms and other factors, your care team may recommend other types of testing, like:
- CT enterography: A CT enterography is a non-invasive test that uses X-rays and contrast dye to get detailed images of the intestines.
- MR enterography: This test uses a contrast dye and magnetic field to get detailed images of the intestines.
- Small bowel enteroclysis: This test examines how a contrast dye moves through your small bowel.
Treatments
Tailored to your lifestyle, disease and symptoms, we can tackle your disease through medications, behavioral changes and dietary changes. We may also refer you to specialists like dietitians, colorectal surgeons, infectious disease specialists and others to manage your condition. Ultimately, our goal is to resolve your small bowel disease as quickly as possible.
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