Intestinal physiology relevant to short-bowel syndrome

In summary, with resection of the small bowel, the remaining intestine mounts an adaptive response to increase its absorptive surface area. The malabsorption of nutrients is predicated on the importance of the bowel resected to the absorption of a given nutrient. Motor activity is little effected by small-bowel resection. In general, resection of the upper small intestine is better tolerated than resection of the lower small intestine, particularly if the ileocecal junction is affected.