Children Intussusception Procedure
Pediatric Surgical Associates specializes in the treatment of intussusception in infants and children. This condition occurs when a portion of your child’s intestines folds or slides inside another segment, causing an obstruction that prevents the passage and digestion of food.
This condition is the most common intestinal obstruction among babies between 5-10 months old and affects boys more frequently than girls. It can cause irritation, swelling or damage in the intestines, resulting in decreased blood flow. It can also cause other abnormal bowel activities.
Pediatric Intussusception Information
Symptoms of Intussusception in Children
Each infant experiences symptoms of intussusception differently. Most babies become more irritable and cry very loudly while drawing their knees up. They may also experience symptoms like vomiting and passing of feces with blood or mucus.
Intussusception Causes
Intussusception affects about 4 out of 1,000 children, but the cause of this condition is still unknown.
Diagnosis of Intussusception in Children
Intussusception specialists like the ones at Pediatric Surgical Associates will start diagnosis by obtaining your child’s medical history and performing a physical test, examining the abdominal organs. For a more accurate diagnosis, our physicians may also use the following:
- X-ray – This will show any obstruction in the intestines
- Enema – This test determines any unusual activity in the large intestine by accurately showing narrowed areas on the X-ray.
- Ultrasound – This uses sound waves to produce pictures of the child’s abdominal organs.
Intussusception Treatment
In some cases, enema can fix this problem because the pressure of inserting a small tube in the child’s rectum to the large intestine can possibly repair the obstruction. If needed, our pediatric surgeons can treat intussusception through surgical procedure.
Under general anesthesia, your intussusception specialists will make an incision in your child’s abdomen to locate the intussusception and push the affected sections back into place. Your child’s intestine will be examined for damage, and, if any sections of the intestines are not working, a surgical removal may be recommended.
If the damage found on the intestine and the section removed is small, the two sections of healthy intestine will be sewn back together. However, if the injured section of intestine is large, a significant amount of the intestine may be removed. If the parts of the intestine that remain after the large damaged section is removed may not be attached surgically, an enterostomy may be created so that the digestive process can continue.
Enterostomy in Orange and Mission Viejo
Your Orange County pediatric surgeons are experts in enterostomy, a surgical procedure that temporarily diverts the small intestine to an artificial opening created in your child’s abdominal wall or in other segments of the intestine to help food digestion. Stool will pass through the opening (called a stoma) and then into a collection bag.
Intussusception recurs in up to 10 percent of children. Your child’s surgeon will be able to give you the most accurate prognosis for your child.
Your Orange County pediatric surgeons and intussusception specialists at Pediatric Surgical Associates will be happy to answer any questions regarding intussusception. Call 714-361-4480 or Contact Us for more information or to make an appointment.