Clinical Specialties

The GW Medical Faculty Associates is an elite, academic medical team delivering care through 51 medical and surgical specialties. 

Clinical Specialties
Click Here to make an online appointment
MFA - The NewsWire
Blind Loop Syndrome

DEFINITION

Blind loop syndrome is a condition where a section of the smaller intestine does not function normally because it does not get the normal flow of food and digestive juices due to being cut off from the rest of the intestine. Normally, food enters the body through the mouth where it gets chewed up and mixed with saliva and some digestive enzymes. The food then passes down the esophagus to the stomach. In the stomach, the food gets broken down by acid and churning motion. The food passes in small amounts into the small intestine. The job of the small intestine is to break up food further with digestive enzymes and absorb nutrients. The small intestine gets its digestive enzymes from the pancreas, gallbladder and liver that sit nearby. The food passes from the small intestine into the large intestine (colon) where the water is reabsorbed. At the end of the large intestine sits the anus, where the rest of the food product leaves the body as waste. While the large intestine is normally inhabited by friendly bacteria that live there and help break down food, the small intestine does not have that same population of helpful bacteria. Being cut off from the rest of the small intestine allows partially digested food to collect and bacteria to grow and multiply in that area, causing infection or bacterial overgrowth. A blind loop in the small intestine can occur for a variety of reasons including previous abdominal surgery, structural problems of the small intestine or other diseases like Crohn’s disease or diabetes. Blind loop syndrome can cause complications including diarrhea, weight loss and poor nutrition. Blind loop syndrome can lead to additional problems including poor absorption of fats, low levels of fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E and K), damage to the wall of the intestine, deficiency of vitamin B12, and osteoporosis (weak and fragile bones). Treatment for blind loop syndrome can be as simple as antibiotics, but can also require surgery.

SYMPTOMS
Diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting, bloating, weight loss, foul-smelling stool that floats in the toilet (fatty stool or steatorrhea)

DIAGNOSIS
Your doctor will first talk to you about the history of your problems as well as do a physical exam. He or she will want to know about any surgeries you have had before as well as any other medical conditions you have. Your doctor will likely want to check your stool for blood, which involves placing a gloved finger into the anus to remove a very small stool sample to test with an test kit in the office. Your doctor may want to take pictures of your abdomen including an abdominal x-ray or CT scan of the abdomen. Other tests your doctor or gastroenterologist might consider include a special x-ray taken after drink a barium solution that helps light up the small intestine called a barium x-ray. Your doctor may also want to do hydrogen, D-xylose, or bile acid breath tests which help measure the amount of bacteria living in the upper digestive system. All three of these tests involve blowing into a machine that checks levels of different products affected by bacteria living in the bowel. Your doctor may want you to collect a stool sample at home to check for high amounts of fat. Finally, your doctor may want to get a sample of the material in the small intestine by doing an endoscopy (placing a thin tube with a camera at the end down the esophagus, through the stomach, and into the small intestine).

TREATMENT
Treatment options for blind loop syndrome include medications, nutritional supplementation and surgery. Antibiotic regimens are designed to eliminate the bacterial overgrowth that is causing symptoms. Antibiotic courses may be short or long but generally need to be repeated as the bacterial overgrowth recurs so long as the underlying problem (the blind loop) is present. Using different antibiotics from time to time helps prevent the creation of bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotic you are using. Because blind loop syndrome causes so many problems with nutrient absorption, certain measures can help with these problems including injections of vitamin B12 and iron. For some people, modifications of diet may help diarrhea. Sometimes the damage to the wall of the intestine caused by bacterial overgrowth can cause lactose intolerance, so a diet free of lactose can help decrease diarrhea. Another diet option is one high in medium-chain triglycerides (found in foods like coconut oil), which are easily absorbed by the body without the assistance of digestive enzymes in contrast to the long chain triglycerides found in most foods we eat. The only curative option for treatment of blind loop syndrome is surgical repair. Without surgical repair, treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms from blind loop syndrome. You should discuss the best treatment options for you with your doctor, gastroenterologist and/or surgeon.

MORE CONDITIONS:

ABOUT SSL CERTIFICATES