Bowel Obstruction

Bowel obstruction treatment depends on what type of obstruction you have (physical blockage or pseudo-obstruction, for example) as well as the severity of it. Some simple or partial blockages can be treated by bowel rest and decompression, while more serious obstructions require immediate surgery.

Treating partial bowel obstruction

No matter what type of bowel obstruction, you will likely be sent to the hospital to receive medication and fluids through an IV to start.

Your doctor may insert a nasogastric tube through your nose and into your stomach to remove built up fluids and gas. This can help relieve some of the abdominal pain and pressure, and open up the blockage for patients with partial obstruction and prevent aspiration.

Partial bowel obstructions generally resolve on their own, with the help of a nasogastric tube and bowel rest. If the blockage remains or worsens, however, it may require surgery to treat.

Treating complete bowel obstruction

A complete bowel obstruction, when no stool or gas can pass through the intestines, is a much more serious and life-threatening condition. Typically, surgery is needed if your intestines are entirely blocked. The blocked part of the intestine may be removed in surgery if there is a tumor and/or inflammation. Otherwise, the blockage will be removed.

Treating pseudo-obstruction

Pseudo-obstructions don’t involve an actual physical blockage, so treating them is slightly different from treating other obstructions. Your doctor may use nutrition support, decompression, medication, and sometimes surgery to treat pseudo-obstruction of the bowels.

For less serious cases, stopping medications that may have caused the pseudo-obstruction, like opioids. It also involves giving you IV fluid or enteral nutrition to replenish your body while you avoid eating solids. Your care team may also prescribe medications that can help food move through the digestive system or relieve nausea and vomiting.

In more serious cases, you may need a colonoscopy to help decompress your intestines, or surgery to address the pseudo-obstruction. That may include a gastrostomy, where doctors place a tube through your abdomen into the stomach or small intestine, or a colectomy and/orstoma, which diverts the colon to an opening in the abdomen to remove waste.

Treating intussusception

Treatment for intussusception, one of the most common forms of bowel obstruction in children, can involve a water-soluble contrast, air enema, or surgery. In children, an enema is the injection of fluid or air into the bowels to trigger the emptying of the bowels and is often used to treat constipation.

Typically, doctors will choose an enema as first-line treatment for intussusception before surgery. In the majority of cases, enemas solve the problem. In adults, surgery is recommended as the cause of the interspersion needs to be investigated.

In children: In more severe cases, such as when the intestine is torn or the enema doesn’t work, your doctor may suggest surgery. The surgeon can remove the part of the intestine that is blocked.