Bowel infarction

Infarction

In medicine, infarction refers to tissue death that is caused by a local lack of oxygen due to obstruction of the tissue's blood supply. The resulting lesion is referred to as an infarct.-Causes:...

or "bowel death" results from a severely restricted blood supply to part of the bowel; this can in turn be due to an uncorrected bowel twist or bowel strangulation, or to occlusion of one of the mesenteric arteries

Mesenteric arteries

Mesenteric arteries can refer to:* Superior mesenteric artery* Inferior mesenteric artery...

.

Strangulation sometimes results from fibrous bands which can form after major bowel surgery due to post operative adhesions.

The condition is very difficult to anticipate and not an easy diagnosis.
Some people have survived resection of extensive sections of bowel following arterial occlusion, but maintaining nourishment presents risks.

The singer Maurice Gibb

Maurice Gibb

Maurice Ernest Gibb, CBE was a musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born on the Isle of Man, the twin brother of Robin Gibb, and younger brother to Barry. He is best known as a member of the singing/songwriting trio the Bee Gees, formed with his brothers...

, member of the Bee Gees

Bee Gees

The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...

, is understood to have died from complications following a bowel twist.

Small bowel volvulus

Volvulus

A volvulus is a bowel obstruction with a loop of bowel whose nose has abnormally twisted on itself.-Types:* Volvulus Neonatorum.* Volvulus Small Intestine.* Volvulus Caecum.* Volvulus Sigmoid Colon .* Gastric volvulus....

is a rare but life-threatening surgical emergency.
Central abdominal pain resistant to narcotic analgesia should heighten
the suspicion of the diagnosis.