Question: What is short bowel syndrome?
Answer: Short bowel syndrome is a condition that develops when the small intestine, also called the small bowel, is shortened or damaged and cannot absorb enough nutrients from the foods you eat to maintain health. The small intestine is where most of the nutrients you get from foods are absorbed by your body during digestion. Short bowel syndrome may be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how well the small intestine is working.
Question: How common is short bowel syndrome?
Answer: Experts aren’t sure how many people have short bowel syndrome. Chronic, or long-lasting, short bowel syndrome is rare because, in most cases, the intestines are able to heal and adapt.
Question: Who is more likely to have short bowel syndrome?
Answer: Short bowel syndrome is more likely to affect people who

have had surgery to remove part of their small intestine, called a small bowel resection
were born with a small intestine that is not as long as normal
have a diseased or damaged small intestine that can’t absorb enough nutrients
Question: What are the complications of short bowel syndrome?
Answer: Short bowel syndrome and long-term treatment with parenteral nutrition may lead to complications.

Nutrition complications

In people with short bowel syndrome, the small intestine can’t absorb enough water, vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, calories, and other nutrients from foods and drinks, a condition called malabsorption. Malabsorption can lead to

dehydration
low levels of certain vitamins and minerals
malnutrition
problems with growth and development in infants and children

Digestive tract complications

Short bowel syndrome and its treatment can affect how the digestive tract works, leading to complications such as

lactose intolerance, a condition in which you havebloating,diarrhea, andgasafter you consume foods or drinks that containlactose
small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, an increase in the number ofbacteriaor a change in the type of bacteria in the small intestine
problems with the movement of food through the digestive tract, which can lead to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and chronicinflammationin the small intestine
too much stomach acid, which may occur for 6 to 12 months after a small bowel resection and can lead topeptic ulcers1

Other complications

Short bowel syndrome and treatment with parenteral nutrition may lead to complications in other parts of the body, including

bone problems, such asosteoporosisor lowbone mass, also called osteopenia
gallstones—hard, pebblelike pieces of material that form in yourgallbladder
intestinal failure-associatedliverdisease—liver damage related to intestinal failure and long-term parenteral nutrition
kidney stones—hard, pebblelike pieces of material that form in one or both of yourkidneys
problems related to the tube, called acatheter, that is inserted into a vein to provide parenteral nutrition