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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffTreatment of intestinal ischemia involves restoring a sufficient blood supply to your digestive tract. Options vary depending on the cause and severity of your condition.
Colon ischemia
If you're diagnosed with colon ischemia, your doctor may recommend antibiotics to treat or prevent infections. Your doctors also can treat any underlying medical condition, such as congestive heart failure or an irregular heartbeat. You'll need to stop any medications that constrict your blood vessels, such as migraine drugs, hormone medications and some heart drugs. Colon ischemia may also heal on its own.
If your colon has been damaged, you may need surgery to remove the dead tissue. Or, you may need surgery to bypass a blockage in one of your intestinal arteries.
Acute mesenteric artery ischemia
Surgery may be necessary to remove a blood clot, to bypass an artery blockage, or to repair or remove a damaged section of intestine. Treatment also may include medications to prevent clots from forming, dissolve clots or dilate blood vessels.
If angiography is done to diagnose the problem, it may be possible to simultaneously remove a blood clot or to open up a narrowed artery with angioplasty. Angioplasty involves using a balloon inflated at the end of a catheter to compress the fatty deposits and stretch the artery, making a wider path for the blood to flow. A spring-like metallic coil (stent) also may be placed in your artery to help keep it open.
Chronic mesenteric artery ischemia
Treatment involves restoring blood flow to your intestine. Your surgeon can bypass the blocked arteries or widen narrowed arteries with angioplasty therapy or by placing a stent.
Ischemia due to mesenteric venous thrombosis
If your intestines show no signs of damage, you'll likely need to take anticoagulant medication for about three to six months. If tests show you have a blood-clotting disorder, you may take anticoagulants for the rest of your life. Anticoagulants help prevent clots from forming. If portions of your bowel show signs of damage, you may need surgery to remove the damaged section.
- Brandt LJ, et al. Intestinal ischemia. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisinger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookHome&isbn=978-1-4160-6189-2&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6189-2..X0001-7--TOP&uniq=200844987-3. Accessed May 17, 2010.
- Hauseer SC. Vascular diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/201609212-3/0/1492/0.html. Accessed May 17, 2010.
- Tendler DA, et al. Acute mesenteric ischemia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 12, 2010.
- Tendler DA, et al. Chronic mesenteric ischemia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 12, 2010.
- Atherosclerosis. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Atherosclerosis/Atherosclerosis_All.html. Accessed May 21, 2010.
- Catheter angiography. RadiologyInfo.org. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=angiocath. Accessed May 20, 2010.
- CT angiography (CTA). RadiologyInfo.org. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=angioct. Accessed May 19, 2010.
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