Emergency Gastrointestinal Surgery: Conditions and Symptoms

Gastrointestinal disorders that require emergency surgery include:

- Bowel obstruction: This occurs when there is a blockage in the small or large intestine that prevents the passage of food and waste. Symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, and constipation.

- Perforated bowel: This occurs when there is a hole in the intestinal wall, allowing bacteria and other contents to leak into the abdominal cavity. Symptoms include sudden and severe abdominal pain, fever, and nausea.

- Acute diverticulitis: This occurs when small pouches in the colon become inflamed and infected. Symptoms include lower abdominal pain, fever, and nausea.

- Appendicitis: This occurs when the appendix, a small pouch attached to the large intestine, becomes inflamed and infected. Symptoms include lower right abdominal pain, fever, and nausea.

- Mesenteric ischemia: This occurs when there is a lack of blood flow to the mesentery, the tissue that supports the intestines. Symptoms include sudden and severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

- Toxic megacolon: This occurs when the colon becomes severely dilated and inflamed, often in the setting of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

- Gastrointestinal bleeding: This occurs when there is excessive bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include vomiting blood, bloody diarrhea, and black, tarry stools.