Also called: Also called: Abdominal adhesions
Adhesions are bands of fibrous tissue. They can connect the loops of the intestines to each other, to nearby organs or to the wall of the abdomen. They can pull sections of the intestines out of place. This may block food from passing through the intestine.
Sometimes adhesions are present at birth. But most of them form after surgery on the abdomen. Some adhesions don't cause any problems. But when they partly or completely block the intestines, they cause symptoms. These can include crampy abdominal pain, vomiting, bloating, an inability to pass gas and constipation.
Some adhesions go away by themselves. If they partly block your intestines, a diet low in fiber can allow food to move easily through the affected area. In some cases, surgery may be necessary to remove the adhesions. But surgery to correct adhesions can increase the risk of more adhesions.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Abdominal Adhesions(InteliHealth, Harvard Medical School) - http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9339/9394.html
-
Intestinal Adhesions
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/intestinaladhesions/
-
Diagnostic Laparoscopy
(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/laparoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/laparoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm -
Hysterosalpingography(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=hysterosalp
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=hysterosalp
- Endometriosis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/endometriosis/DS00289/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Intestinal Ischemia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/intestinal-ischemia/DS00459/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Intestinal Obstruction(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/intestinal-obstruction/DS00823/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
-
Diagnostic Laparoscopy(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tutorials/laparoscopy/htm/index.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/tutorials/laparoscopyspanish/htm/index.htm
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Adhesions(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Adhesions%22
- Article: Prevention of intra-abdominal adhesions in gynaecological surgery. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18764998&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Is operative conversion necessary for patients diagnosed with dense adhesions... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18757381&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Aetiology, clinical features and treatment outcome of intrauterine adhesion in... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18705430&tool=MedlinePlus
- Adhesions -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=adhesions[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
-
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html
- Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Adhesions is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/