Successful weaning from parenteral nutrition in a short bowel syndrome patient with high-output stoma through restricted oral diet: a case report

A restricted oral diet plays a significant role in the nutritional management of patients with Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS). SBS patients often experience increased intestinal output, especially if they are classified as net “secretors” (typically having less than 100 cm of residual jejunum). This means they lose more water and sodium from their stoma than they take in by mouth. In this report, we present the case of an SBS patient with 80 cm of remaining bowel, no colon in continuity, and a high-output stoma. The patient was managed with a restrictive oral diet in combination with parenteral nutrition, pharmacological treatment, and high patient compliance. Following this regimen, the patient’s condition improved significantly, leading to a reduction in stoma output and an improvement in nutritional status, including stabilization and weight gain. Upon discharge from the hospital, the patient was maintaining an oral diet with specific nutritional recommendations and receiving parenteral saline. This case report suggests that the combined use of restricted oral intake and parenteral nutrition (PN), alongside appropriate pharmacological management and high patient compliance, can effectively manage high-output stomas and improve nutritional status, even in cases where the small bowel is less than 100 cm in length.