Kurzdarmsyndrom und Darmversagen: Diagnostik und Therapie [Short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure: diagnosis and therapy]

Chronic intestinal failure is a rare disease entity which either results from short bowel syndrome due to agenesia or the loss of small intestine during surgery, or from functional disorders of the mucosa, or motility disorders. The incidence of intestinal failure is approximately 2 - 3 per million population, the estimated prevalence is 4 - 5 per million population. Irreversible intestinal failure requires total parenteral nutrition and is associated with a state of malassimilation which results in special medical requirements and specific potential complications which require treatment in specialized centers. If enteral autonomy cannot be re-established and life-long dependency on parenteral nutrition is indicated, the avoidance of typical complications related to intestinal failure, such as intestinal failure associated liver disease (IFALD) and catheter-related complications is of major concern. Intestinal transplantation has emerged as successful therapeutic option for those patients with complicated irreversible intestinal failure over the last years.