Oct 9, 2017 | Cancer, Diet and Nutrition, Your Health
Patients with short bowel syndrome have unique dietary constraints because they have trouble absorbing nutrients. Kwai Lam, RD, clinical nutrition coordinator at the Mount Sinai Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplantation Center, provides advice on how to obtain optimal nutritional intake with this difficult condition.
Kwai Lam, RD
In the United States, it is estimated that 10,000 to 20,000 people suffer from short bowel syndrome, a rare condition that occurs when an extensive length of the intestine is removed, typically during surgery to treat diseases, injuries, or birth defects. It has debilitating effects, often contributing to poor quality of life and a greater chance of disease or death.
Dietary modifications aim to optimize nutrient and fluid absorption, and reduce diarrhea, malnutrition, and dehydration. What a patient can consume will depend on the anatomy of their remaining intestine. For example, the diet for someone with a colon will differ from someone without a colon. (See chart below.)
For all short bowel syndrome patients, foods with high sugar content should be avoided as they can exacerbate diarrhea. Meal planning should focus on including more complex carbohydrates such as bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes. Whole-grain products, raw vegetables, fruit peels, and nuts should be excluded due to their high fiber content and propensity to aggravate diarrhea. Dietary fat should be eaten in moderation, especially in individuals who have their colons since mal-absorbed fat in the colon along with a diet high in oxalate increase the risk of forming kidney stones.
Fluids with high sugar content, like juice and soda, cause an influx of water into the intestine, resulting in a laxative effect. Ideally, patients should consume fluid known as oral rehydration solution, which has a balanced ratio of sugar to sodium. Contrary to common beliefs, most sport drinks are not the best choice for this population, due to their high sugar and low sodium contents. Water and other fluids with no sodium or sugar, may be tolerated in some individuals who have their colon. However, these beverages tend to promote sodium and fluid loss, leading to further dehydration in individuals who have their colon removed. Oral rehydration solutions are recommended for all who have short bowel syndrome. They can be purchased commercially or made at home using three common household ingredients: water, table salt, and sugar.
|
Colon |
No Colon |
| Carbohydrate
Fat
Fiber
Oxalate
Fluids |
50-60% of calories
Complex carbohydrate
20-30% calories
Soluble fiber
Restrict
Oral rehydration solution and some hypotonic fluids |
40-50% calories
Complex carbohydrate
30-40% calories
Soluble fiber
No restriction
Oral rehydration solution |
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Breast Cancer, Community, Patient Stories
Ami Rogé with her physician, Stephen C. Malamud, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology).
About 200 cancer survivors, their families and friends, and Mount Sinai faculty and staff, recently attended the 20th annual luncheon celebrating National Cancer Survivors Day®. At the event, held on Sunday, June 11, in The Mount Sinai Hospital’s Annenberg West Lobby, attendees enjoyed a performance by Ami Rogé, a concert pianist and breast cancer survivor who was treated at Mount Sinai Downtown-Chelsea Center. Steven J. Burakoff, MD, Dean for Cancer Innovation, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, discussed the state of cancer care. “Given our increasing success treating cancer, there are now more than 15.5 million cancer survivors in the United States,” he said. “We must focus more of our efforts on helping our patients cope as cancer survivors.”
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Cancer, Community
From left to right: Michael McCarry, Senior Vice President, Perioperative Services, Mount Sinai Health System; Elisa R. Port, MD, Chief of Breast Surgery, Director of the Dubin Breast Center; Mount Sinai Trustee Eva Andersson-Dubin, MD; and David L. Reich, MD, President, The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens.
Leaders of The Mount Sinai Hospital held a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, April 5, to celebrate the newly redesigned Dubin Pre-Operative Unit, an inviting area on the seventh floor of the Guggenheim Pavilion with five private rooms where patients can prepare for surgery at the Dubin Breast Center. The Unit was established through the generosity of Mount Sinai Trustees Eva Andersson-Dubin, MD, and Glenn Dubin. The rooms reflect the same soothing décor found at the Dubin Breast Center and provide patients with a place where they can register for surgery, change their clothes, store their belongings, and speak privately with members of their care team before going into surgery.
Oct 14, 2016 | Breast Cancer, Cancer, Health Tips, Men's Health, Women's Health, Your Health
Kelly Hogan, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian who focuses on breast cancer nutrition for the Dubin Breast Center of The Tisch Cancer Institute. Ms. Hogan creates patient education and wellness programs and provides individual counseling in the areas of wellness, weight management, and symptom/side effect management.
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, about one-third of all breast cancer cases are preventable with lifestyle changes. A report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that breast cancer survivors outnumber all other cancer survivors in the United States. With early detection and treatment advances, this number continues to grow. This makes prevention of recurrence a top priority for millions of survivors. Although we cannot control every reason for a breast cancer diagnosis or recurrence, much of my work at the Dubin Breast Center focuses on what we can control through diet and lifestyle. (more…)
Sep 23, 2016 | Head and Neck, Health Tips, Your Health
Guest post by Mark Urken, MD, Chief of Mount Sinai Beth Israel’s Division of Head and Neck Oncology. To make an appointment with Dr. Urken, call 212-844-8775.
Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine cancer and it is one of the few cancers that has increased in incidence over recent years. Thyroid cancer occurs across all age groups, but is more common among people ages 20 to 55 and occurs more frequently in women. Before treatment begins, it is important to make sure your disease has been diagnosed accurately to ensure that the treatment options offered are right for the specific disease. (more…)
Sep 20, 2016 | Cancer, Head and Neck, Health Tips, Your Health
Guest blog written by Deena Adimoolam, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland with two sides that sits in front of your windpipe and when it is functioning normally you don’t even know it exists. The main hormone it secretes is thyroxine, which helps to regulate metabolism, growth and development, as well as body temperature. The thyroid gland should not be mistaken for the parathyroid glands, which are completely different entities with separate functions. (more…)
