Overview

The location of the mesentery in relation to various parts of the colon and rectum — Your mesentery provides structural support for your intestines. It anchors parts of your intestines to your abdominal wall.

What is the mesentery?

The mesentery is a fold of tissue inside your abdomen. It connects your intestines to the back wall of your belly and attaches to organs like your liver, spleen and pancreas. It carries blood vessels, lymph vessels and nerves that serve these organs.

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Healthcare providers now see the mesentery as more than just tissue — some even classify it as an organ. That’s because it’s one continuous structure with a clear purpose to support, nourish and connect several digestive organs.

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Function

What does the mesentery do?

Researchers are still learning, but they know the mesentery:

Secures your organs: It anchors your intestines so they stay in place without collapsing or twisting. Scientists think its design may even help humans walk upright.
Supports organ growth and function: It forms before other digestive organs during development. Organs like the liver, spleen and pancreas grow inside it and stay connected for life.
Helps organs communicate: Shared blood vessels, nerves and lymph nodes let organs send signals through the mesentery. For example, lymph nodes there trap germs, and the mesentery also makes C-reactive protein (CRP), which helps regulate inflammation.

Anatomy

Where is the mesentery located?

It begins at the back of your abdomen, near a major blood vessel called the superior mesenteric artery. From there, it extends in a spiral shape that covers your intestines.

How big is it?

The adult mesentery is about 6 feet long when stretched out.

What is the structure of the mesentery?

The mesentery is one continuous organ, but different sections branch out to connect with various other organs. Some parts anchor your intestines to the back of your abdominal wall, while others secure organs without fixing them in place. This keeps the organs stable but still allows some movement.

It’s easiest to understand the mesentery by looking at its attachments. These include several parts once thought to be separate:

Small-intestinal mesentery: Connects to the small intestine
Right mesocolon: Secures the right side of the large intestine (colon)
Transverse mesocolon: Runs across the transverse colon
Left mesocolon: Secures the left side of the large intestine
Mesosigmoid: Connects the sigmoid colon
Mesorectum: Connects the rectum

Doctors once thought these were separate structures, but now we know they are all part of one mesentery. This discovery changes how we understand development and surgery.

What is the mesentery made of?

It’s mostly fat tissue, along with connective tissue, blood vessels, lymph tissue and nerves. A protective layer called the mesothelium surrounds it, and another tissue, Toldt’s fascia, connects it to the abdominal wall.

Conditions and Disorders

What are the common conditions and disorders that affect the mesentery?

Much research links the mesentery to Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease. Some studies suggest Crohn’s may even start in the mesentery.

Most belly fat is stored here as visceral fat. Too much visceral fat raises the risk of:

Diabetes
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Obesity
Coronary artery disease
Metabolic syndrome
Stroke

Other diseases and conditions involving the mesentery include:

Cancer: Tumors can form in the mesentery or spread there from nearby organs.
Infections: Germs can hide in lymph nodes and reappear later to cause illness.
Sclerosing mesenteritis: This is ongoing inflammation that leads to scarring and blocked blood flow.
Mesenteric panniculitis: This is inflammation of the fat layer, and usually milder than sclerosing mesenteritis.
Hernias: Mesenteric tissue pushes through weak spots in the abdominal wall.
Malrotation: Improper intestinal development before birth that often requires surgery.
Volvulus: Twisting of the intestines and mesentery creates a dangerous blockage.

Because it’s tied to so many organs, many digestive diseases also involve the mesentery.

What are common treatments for the mesentery?

New research shows that surgeries on abdominal organs often need to include the mesentery. For example, removing parts of the mesentery may slow Crohn’s disease or reduce the risk of colon cancer coming back.

This growing knowledge is also changing surgery itself. In the past, surgeons treated the abdomen as a collection of sacs, pouches and cavities with multiple mesenteries. Now, they divide it into two regions — one that includes the mesentery and one that doesn’t. This simpler view can make abdominal surgery more straightforward.

Care

How can I care for my mesentery?

The best way is to keep a healthy amount of visceral fat. Too much raises the risk of chronic disease. You can lower visceral fat by:

Limiting processed foods, sugar, trans fats, sodium and alcohol
Exercising at least 150 minutes each week
Getting at least eight hours of quality sleep every night
Managing stress, which helps control cortisol, a hormone linked to belly fat

A note from Cleveland Clinic

You may not think much about whether the mesentery is called an “organ” or “tissue.” But for doctors and researchers, that language matters. Seeing the mesentery in a new way changes how they study, diagnose and treat digestive diseases. It even shapes how surgeons approach abdominal surgery.

The good news for you is that each new discovery brings us closer to understanding how this hidden structure supports your health — and how we can better protect it.

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