Guide To Managing Radiation Enteritis

Surgical Intervention

Some individuals with severe cases of radiation enteritis may require surgical intervention to restore reasonable function to their digestive tract. Segments of the small and large intestine may become damaged from radiation to the point where food is no longer able to pass through them physically. If left untreated, this often leads to a life-threatening bowel obstruction. Should bowel obstructions become a problem, surgical intervention will be required.

Other radiation enteritis patients may not have frequent bowel obstructions, but they may experience different symptoms to an excessive or severe degree. Complications such as malnutrition, pain, dehydration, and diarrhea may become incredibly debilitating to a patient. When other treatment methods are ineffective to treat these complications, surgical intervention may be recommended. Surgery to treat radiation enteritis involves creating a bypass so food can move around the diseased parts of the intestine. Another surgical approach to radiation enteritis is to remove the diseased section of the bowel entirely, and then connect the remaining bowel segments together.