8th International Conference on Clinical Gastroenterology & Hepatology

Short bowel syndrome (SBS)-associated intestinal failure is a highly disabling condition that impairs quality of life and social integration will be discussed in Gastroenterology conferences. Although the condition is not uniformly fatal, it might lead to serious, life-threatening complications. The basic goals of medical treatment are reflux to maintain electrolyte, fluid, and nutrient balances and to make modifications in disease management in order to avoid side effects. Various definitions have been proposed for SBS and intestinal failure within the medical literature, but many focus on different aspects of the conditions, leading to confusion. In the past, identifying the cause of intestinal failure was of little consequence, because all patients were managed on total parenteral nutrition at home. However, with the recent development of medical therapies such as recombinant growth hormone, octreotide, and glucagon-like peptide-2 analogues and with improvements in small bowel transplantation, many patients can be made nutritionally autonomous.