Short bowel syndrome (SBS)
Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a complex disease that occurs due to the physical loss, most often due to surgical removal, of half or more of the small intestine. As a result, individuals with SBS often have a reduced ability to absorb nutrients and fluids. In more severe cases, referred to as SBS with intestinal failure, patients are dependent on complex parenteral support (PS) to sustain life. SBS with intestinal failure is associated with significant medical complications including liver and renal failure, metabolic complications, chronic fatigue, and life-threatening infections. Although lifesaving, management of PS is associated with a significant burden on health care systems and reduction in the patients’ and caregivers’ quality of life.
SBS can be treated in highly specialized, multi-disciplinary centers, involving the use of agents that promote rehabilitation of the intestinal lining, such as GLP-2 analogs.
Going from 10 hours to 8 hours was the largest jump
Dependent on parenteral support to survive, Mike must connect to infusion equipment for eight hours a day, six days a week. Reducing the complexity – and time spent – for parenteral support enabled this driven college football coach to get back in the game.
My worst fear was to become what I am today: a short bowel patient
Marianne was diagnosed with cancer of the small intestine and became a short bowel patient. Today, she manages to live a life on home parenteral nutrition and works as a pastor.
Depending on parenteral support to live
Diagnosed with short bowel syndrome at 13 years old, Will began receiving total parenteral support (PS), a lifesaving therapy for patients with intestinal failure that provides all the elements of nutrition and hydration needed to live via intravenous infusion.
