Re: terminology... duodenum, jejunum, ileum, small bowel, small intestine, ...

September 21, 2000

Dr.R bypasses about 6 feet of the small bowel (aka small intestine).

Indeed, he's completely bypassing the duodenum and connecting the new

stomach tube somewhere along the jejunum.

Regarding the digestive excretions, I was told that the bile and

pancreatic enzymes are still secreted and that they still travel down

the intestine. However, they just don't come in contact with 'food'

until they reach the area of the new connection. There they do what

they usually do, but the effectiveness is different because less

absorption takes place farther along the small intestine. If my

college physiology study serves me correctly, it's those first couple

feet where most nutrients are absorbed.

Debbie

> OK, all you anatomy geniuses out there... please help In

looking over Dr. R's site, he says that with the MGB the duodenum is

bypassed and food goes directly into the small bowel. Quite frankly,

I'm not familiar with the term " small bowel. " I know that the small

intestine is made up of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum... so I'm

wondering if small bowel=jejunum + ileum or does he bypass those as

well? From what I can tell, (thanks to my Taber's) the duodenum is

only 10 inches or so long... so I'm assuming he's bypassing part of

the jejunum as well. What happens to the bile and pancreatic enzymes

that are secreted into the duodenum? Don't we need these to digest

food (break it down into an absorbable form)? I realize that part of

the reason the operation works is malabsorption, but I always thought

that bile and pancreatic juices were rather essential--and we would

need them to some extent.

>

> BTW... I love my Taber's (Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary). It even

has dumping syndrome and Billroth's operations.

>

Recommended Posts