Specialists of medicine have discovered, identified, and described a great variety of diseases and disorders during the institution’s existence. Some conditions are common, and others are rare such as Hirschsprung’s disease (Hirschsprung disease, 2017). Researchers note that “people with this disease do not have the nerve cells in the intestine required to pass stools from the body normally” (Hirschsprung disease, 2017, para. 1). The reason why this particular colon condition was chosen for this paper is its rarity and unique origin. This paper’s aim is to explore the basic facts about Hirschsprung’s disease.
Origin and Symptoms
Hirschsprung’s disease belongs to the group of conditions that are present in their carriers from birth. Simply put, it is a genetic condition that arises from gene mutation (Hirschsprung disease, 2017). Researchers argue that heredity also plays a significant role in the possibility of its development in one (Hirschsprung disease, 2017). Usually, it is screened, diagnosed, and treated in children at an early age, and adult patients are a rare occurrence (Schmutz et al., 2020). Hirschsprung’s disease symptoms are similar to other intestinal conditions and include constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain (Hirschsprung disease, 2017). As with most genetic cases, its treatment is a complex process.
Methods of Treatment
Unfortunately, modern medicine knows only two methods of treating Hirschsprung’s disease, both of which are surgical. The first and standard one is the so-called pull-through procedure. It involves removing “the intestinal aganglionic segment” and then attaching the patient’s bowel to their anus (Hirschsprung disease, 2017, para. 13). The second one is intestinal transplantation, which is performed for severe cases of Hirschsprung and other intestinal diseases (Garcia et al., 2021). Further in-depth research on the topic discussed and new technical innovations in medicine may reveal new approaches to treating this rare and complex condition.
References
Garcia, J., Selvaggi, G., Tekin, A., & Vianna, R. (2021). Intestinal transplantation. Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation, 26(2), 229-233.
Hirschsprung disease. (2017). National Institute of Health. Web.
Schmutz, K., McGaig, G., & Theiling, B. J. (2020). Hirschsprung’s disease: A rare adult diagnosis. Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine, 4(3), 480-481.