Intestinal failure in gastrointestinal fistula patients

Intestinal failure due to intestinal fistulae can be an extremely disabling condition that significantly impairs quality of life. It can lead to serious life-threatening complications and potentially cause death if left untreated. Many patients present with co-morbidities which in turn present a further challenge in the successful management of these cases.To manage these patients appropriately there is a need to rationalise the approach through a multidisciplinary team to identify and treat all aspects of their problems. Several large centres have set up dedicated intestinal failure units comprising surgeons, gastroenterologists, radiologists, biochemists, nutritional support teams, stoma nurses as well as specialist wards equipped to manage these patients appropriately.