Center for Advanced Intestinal Rehabilitation

A person with short bowel syndrome is likely to be deficient in a range of important nutrients because their intestine cannot absorb enough nutrients from food. In this condition, known as malabsorption, the intestine tries to compensate by dilating, creating more surface area to absorb whatever nutrients it can.

Many patients with short bowel syndrome must get their nutrients delivered directly into the stomach or small intestine via a tube (a process known as enteral nutrition). In some cases this is not possible and patients must get nutrition intravenously, which is called parenteral nutrition (PN).