Home total parenteral nutrition in a "no-bowel" patient in Spain.

OBJECTIVE

To report a case of a patient with no functional bowel who was receiving home total parenteral nutrition in a country that has had a few professional experiences in this area of therapy.

CASE SUMMARY: A woman with a history of scattered colonic polyposis developed a mesenteric tumor that caused intestinal obstruction. Tumor withdrawal required the excision of 1.5 m of jejunum-ileum. Postoperative complications required further surgical intervention and subtotal intestinal resection. Duodenocolic anastomosis was not possible and a high output and permanent fistula remained.

DISCUSSION: The complications of home parenteral nutrition addressed in the literature are reviewed. The problems encountered in our patient have been resolved.

CONCLUSIONS

After three years of postoperative survival, we believe the quality of life of our patient has increased and the parenteral nutrition team members are much better prepared to manage patients with similar problems.