Current Concepts of Intestinal Failure

Book excerpt: This book provides readers with a succinct but comprehensive overview of current concepts relating to intestinal failure, including its treatment, with a particular focus on recent advancements. The opening chapters address basic aspects of intestinal failure, including etiology, clinical pathophysiology, physiology of intestinal adaptation, and intestinal microbiota. The complications of intestinal failure, such as bacterial overgrowth and intestinal failure-associated liver disease, are then discussed. A series of chapters specifically address important strategies in the nutritional, pharmacological, and surgical treatment of intestinal failure as well as the concept of intestinal rehabilitation. Finally, two significant emerging developments are considered: regenerative medicine and distraction enterogenesis. The authors are internationally recognized experts from Europe and North America who are ideally placed to describe current knowledge and progress in the field.