Acute mesenteric ischaemia

Acute mesenteric ischaemia

Acute mesenteric occlusion may be either thrombotic (follow - ing atheromatous narrowing) or embolic. Embolic occlusion results in sudden, severe abdominal pain, with bowel emptying (vomiting and diarrhoea) and a source of emboli present (usually cardiac). Unfortunately , the diagnosis is often only made at y with widespread infarction of the small and large laparotom bowel present; in this situation it is often fatal. Occasionally , the degree of bowel infarction is more limited; resection of the dead bowel and embolectomy of the superior mesenteric ity rate in these patients. A ‘second look’ laparotomy 24 hours later to check the viability of the bowel may be indicated.