Achieving Digestive Autonomy and Gastrointestinal Continuity in a Patient with Short Bowel Syndrome Secondary to

Alejandro R Velasquez1,2, Thomas O Xu3, Yu-Ting Liu3

  • 1Department of Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction, Children's National, Washington, District of Columbia, United States.

Insights

Serial transverse enteroplasty successfully treated a rare case of jejunal atresia and Hirschsprung's disease. This allowed a child to achieve nutritional autonomy and undergo successful pull-through surgery, avoiding long-term parenteral nutrition dependence.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Gastroenterology
  • Neonatal Care

Background:

  • Concomitant jejunal atresia and Hirschsprung's disease is a rare congenital condition.
  • This combination significantly increases the risk of short bowel syndrome and parenteral nutrition dependence in affected children.
  • Management challenges include the feasibility and timing of surgical pull-through procedures.

Observation:

  • A patient presented with jejunal atresia and a delayed diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease.
  • The patient developed short bowel syndrome, requiring an end jejunostomy and parenteral nutrition.
  • Initial presentation at age 2 was due to failure to thrive from an obstructed jejunostomy and enterocolitis.

Findings:

  • Completion of subtotal colectomy and jejunostomy revision using serial transverse enteroplasty (STEP) was performed.
  • STEP effectively managed dilated bowel and increased bowel length.
  • The patient successfully weaned off parenteral nutrition by age 5, achieving nutritional autonomy.

Implications:

  • Serial transverse enteroplasty is a viable technique for managing complex cases of jejunal atresia and Hirschsprung's disease.
  • This approach can lead to nutritional autonomy in pediatric patients with short bowel syndrome.
  • Successful STEP facilitates subsequent gastrointestinal reconstruction, such as ileoanal pull-through, improving long-term outcomes.

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