What Causes Intestinal Ischemia?

Blood Clots

Blood clots are the clumps of blood the body forms in response to a cut or an injury to plug the injured blood vessel. In healthy individuals, clots are a natural mechanism that stops the body from losing too much blood. However, the process that causes the formation of clots can be impaired by several different diseases and conditions. This impairment can result in the formation of clots inside the blood vessels that do not naturally dissolve on their own. These blood clots can break free and flow throughout the bloodstream until they become lodged or stuck. Numerous dangerous conditions can occur when a blood clot becomes lodged in an artery. These adverse conditions depend on the location of where it is blocking normal blood flow. A blood clot can make its way into the mesenteric arteries or the arteries that supply the intestines with oxygenated blood and become lodged. This obstruction will stop the normal flow of blood to parts of the colon or small intestine. Intestinal ischemia caused by lodged blood clots will most often require surgery to restore adequate blood flow. In minor cases, medication may be used in an attempt to dissolve existing clots before implementing surgical interventions.

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