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Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Learning Module

About Your Bowel

You​r bowels (intestines) are part of your digestive system. When you swallow food, it passes down your food pipe (esophagus) and into your stomach. From there it passes into your small bowel.

Your small bowel absorbs nutrients from food. What’s left goes to the large bowel.

The large bowel is about 6 feet (2 metres) long. This is where the fluid that comes from the small bowel is absorbed. Once the fluid is absorbed, the stool goes to the rectum. When you have a bowel movement, the stool passes through the anus from the rectum.