What are the causes of short bowel syndrome?

Surgery: Surgical removal of the majority of the small intestine is what causes short bowel syndrome.

Loss of intestine: The most common cause of short bowel syndrome is "short bowel" - meaning that you have lost some portion of your intestine. Generally, the more you lose, the worse the condition. Eventually, you can develop intestinal failure where the remaining intestine provides inadequate absorption to maintain hydration and nutrition. Then, the patient will need fluids or TPN or intestine transplantation.