What does a tortuous colon mean?
Summary. If your colon measures longer than five feet, it will contort itself so that it can fit into your abdomen. The extra loops and bends that form result in a condition known as tortuous or redundant colon. You may have some digestive discomfort such as constipation and cramping, but often there are no issues.
What problems does a tortuous colon cause?
Constipation can result in rectal prolapse, hemorrhoids, or even anal fissures. In addition to health risks arising from symptoms of a tortuous colon, individuals with this condition are at an increased risk of developing colonic volvulus, which is when the large intestine becomes twisted around itself.
What does tortuous and redundant colon mean?
A redundant colon, sometimes referred to as an elongated or tortuous colon, is an anatomically long, floppy colon. Because of the length, it naturally twists, turns, and flips onto itself to fit into a comparatively small abdominal cavity.
What is the treatment for redundant colon?
How is a redundant colon treated? Redundant colon doesn’t always require medical intervention. Many people can live with a redundant colon without needing any treatments. Some severe cases (with recurring complications) do require surgical correction.
What causes looping of the colon?
Key points. Blind loop syndrome occurs when food doesn’t follow the normal digestion route and bypasses a section of your intestine. It can be caused by abdominal surgery, diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, peptic ulcer disease, or an infection.
Is redundant colon congenital?
A redundant loop of sigmoid colon is a scarce congenital anatomic variation that is associated with serious chronic and acute clinical and functional implications. This variation is difficultly diagnosed or suspected preoperatively. Its presence though, complicates surgical maneuvers and radiographic analysis.
What is a rigid colon?
A rigid sigmoidoscopy is a procedure to look inside your rectum and sigmoid colon. The sigmoid colon is the lower part of your intestines, closest to your rectum. A sigmoidoscope will be inserted into your rectum. This is a firm tube with a light and tiny camera on the end.
Can your colon be straightened?
If the obstruction is caused by a twisting of the sigmoid area of the large intestine, a doctor may try to straighten out the twisting segment with lighted instruments (such as a proctoscope or sigmoidoscope) or a barium enema. But surgery is sometimes needed to fix twisting of the intestine.
How does a person’s colon get twisted?
Causes of intestinal obstruction may include fibrous bands of tissue (adhesions) in the abdomen that form after surgery; hernias; colon cancer; certain medications; or strictures from an inflamed intestine caused by certain conditions, such as Crohn’s disease or diverticulitis.