Foreword

Article Outline

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The management of short bowel syndrome continues to evolve. Almost invariably fatal until the development of home parenteral nutrition in the 1970s, there are now 4 million patients living with this condition. Treatment today requires a multidisciplinary approach, including medical and surgical rehabilitation and, in appropriate patients, intestinal transplantation. In this issue of Current Problems in Surgery, Dr. Jon Thompson and colleagues from the Department of Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center have written a comprehensive review on this topic entitled, “Current Management of Short Bowel Syndrome.” Beginning with etiology and prevention, they move on to a discussion of factors influencing outcomes. Subsequent topics include medical rehabilitation, including approaches to maintaining nutrition, complication prevention, and pharmacologic approaches to enhancing adaptation. Surgical management, including approaches to preserve the remnant, restore continuity, improve motility, and prolong transit, is covered in considerable detail. Likewise, newer options with intestinal tapering and lengthening and tissue engineering are considered. They conclude with a thorough review of the current status of intestinal transplantation. This superb review should become a “go to” resource for all involved in the management of this syndrome. The remarkable progress in managing patients is a testament to the patience and perseverance of leaders in this field, such as Dr. Thompson.