Hypoxia and Medicine

What is mesenteric ischemia?

The causes, cures/treatments? Also, what is the procedure to get rid of it?

Public Comments

1. Try this site for some good info. http://www.vascularweb.org/patients/NorthPoint/Mesenteric_Ischemia.html
2. The mesenteric arteries are the three major arteries that supply blood to the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. The word “ischemia” means decrease in oxygen supply. Mesenteric ischemia is a condition in which the mesenteric arteries do not deliver enough blood and oxygen to the small and large intestines. This makes it difficult for the intestines to digest food and can cause segments of the intestine to die. It is usually treated with surgery. The narrow or blocked portion of the arteries may be removed and the arteries are then reconnected to the aorta. Or, the blocked part of the artery may be bypassed, with a piece of vein or a plastic tube. Acute mesenteric ischemia is treated with emergency surgery. It is extremely important to restore the blood supply to the intestine as quickly as possible by removing the blockage from the artery. Portions of the intestine may have to be removed if the lack of blood has caused any of the tissue to die.