Hirschsprung disease...
This is what 29 lbs of feces looks like! Doctors remove approximately 29 lbs. of feces, and part of the colon, from a man to save his life! . Hirschsprung disease, also known as congenital megacolon, is a birth defect in which nerve cells are missing at the end of a child’s bowel. Normally, the bowel contains many nerve cells all along its length that control how the bowel works. The most common areas missing the nerve cells are the rectum and the sigmoid colon. However, some children are missing the nerve cells for the entire colon or part of the small intestine, causing blockages that damage the bowel because the stool does not move through the colon normally. . The main signs and symptoms of Hirschsprung disease is constipation or intestinal obstruction, usually appearing shortly after birth. Other symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and sometimes more serious colon complications, such as enterocolitis and toxic megacolon, which can be life-threatening. Some complications that these patients may experience are: growth failure, swelling of the abdomen, unexplained fever, and vomiting. . Unfortunately, no testing exists that can diagnose a child while the mother is pregnant. Researchers are studying if the mother’s health history or lifestyle during pregnancy increases the chance of her baby developing Hirschsprung disease. . Treatment consists of surgery, which is needed to bypass the affected part of the colon or to remove it entirely. However, there is a possibility of complications. These include bleeding, infection or a further blockage of the bowel after surgery due to scarring or other factors. Most of the time, the problems with pooping start at birth, although in milder cases symptoms may appear months or years later. .
