Medical Health Encyclopedia

Injury Disease Nutrition Poison Symptoms Surgery Test Special Topic

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention

Mesenteric venous thrombosis

Treatment: The mainstay of treatment for mesenteric venous thrombosis is the administration of medication that thins the blood. Heparin is the most commonly used drug. In selected cases, medicine to dissolve the clot can be directly infused into the clot itself (thrombolysis.) If patients have signs and symptoms of peritonitis, surgery is usually required to remove intestine that has died due to compromise of its blood supply. At times, an ileostomy or colostomy may be necessary. Expectations (prognosis): Text Continues Below The prognosis for this condition is quite variable depending on the cause. Prompt therapy prior to the onset of intestinal gangrene, along with treatment of the underlying cause, can result in a good outcome. Complications: The most feared complication of mesenteric venous thrombosis is intestinal ischemia, in which some or all of the intestine dies because of poor blood supply from the blocked mesenteric veins. Calling your health care provider: Call your health care provider if you are experiencing severe or recurrent abdominal pains.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2004 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.