Colostomies are performed for numerous reasons, including obstructive lesions caused by cancer, severe diverticulitis, severe intractable constipation, and trauma. Ileostomies are performed for the same reasons, but permanent ileostomy is reserved almost exclusively for patients with ulcerative colitis and diffuse…
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disease of unknown etiology characterized by diffuse mucosal inflammation of the large bowel ( Fig. 91.1 ). The disease is variable in extent, severity, and clinical course, and knowledge of many aspects remains incomplete. The…
Diverticular Disease of the Colon Diverticulosis of the colon is an acquired condition that results from herniation of the mucosa through defects in the muscle coats ( Fig. 90.1 ). Defects are usually located where the blood vessels pierce the…
Inflammatory changes of the vermiform appendix are the most frequent cause of laparotomy in western countries, where the incidence of appendicitis is approximately 10 times that in eastern countries. The appendix is part of the cecum, and its abdominal marking…
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Megacolon is divided into the congenital and acquired types. The congenital form is Hirschsprung disease and includes classic, short-segment, and ultrashort-segment types as well as total colonic aganglionosis ( Fig. 87.1 ). Open full size image Fig. 87.1 Megacolon (Hirschsprung…
Folklore and society have maintained the philosophy that regular bowel movements are essential to health. Consequently people have attempted to maintain bowel regularity and to experience a “good” bowel movement by using laxatives and drugs that affect the gastrointestinal (GI)…
Constipation can generally be defined as fewer than three bowel movements per week. However, if it is included as a “functional disorder” in accordance with the Rome II criteria, the definition would state that the diagnosis of constipation requires at…
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