Adhesions Surgery

Adhesions Overview

Adhesions are internal scars that create an abnormal connection or bond between internal organs and body parts. They can cause severe pain, a pulling sensation, or blockages. They can strike at any time, even several years after a surgery or injury. The tissue develops as a result of the body's repair mechanism in response to tissue disturbances, such as surgery, infection, trauma, or radiation. Adhesions can occur anywhere, including the stomach and the pelvis.

Abdominal adhesions

Abdominal adhesions are a common complication of surgery, occurring in up to 93% of people who undergo abdominal or pelvic surgery. Abdominal adhesions also occur in 10.4% of people who have never had surgery. Most adhesions are painless and do not cause complications. However, adhesions cause 60%-70% of small bowel obstructions in adults and are believed to contribute to the development of chronic pelvic pain. Adhesions typically begin to form within the first few days after surgery, but they may not produce symptoms for months or even years. The digestive system can be affected as scar tissue begins to restrict motion of the small intestines. The passing of food becomes progressively more difficult. Eventually, the bowel may become blocked. This can cause distention, severe abdominal pain, constipation and bowel obstruction. In more extreme cases, adhesions may form fibrous bands around a segment of an intestine. This constricts blood flow and leads to tissue death.

Pelvic adhesions

Pelvic adhesions may involve any organ within the pelvis, such as the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, or bladder, and usually occur after surgery. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) results from an infection (usually a sexually transmitted disease) that frequently leads to adhesions within the fallopian tubes. A woman's eggs pass through her fallopian tubes into her uterus for reproduction. Fallopian adhesions can lead to infertility and increased incidence of ectopic pregnancy in which a fetus develops outside the uterus. To learn more about this disease visit www.adhesions.org

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