Typically caused by surgeries, abdominal adhesions are when there are bands of tissue between the organs and the abdominal tissues. It can be the cause of pelvic or chronic pain and is a source of female infertility.
Causes of Adhesions
There are surgical causes of abdominal adhesions and some non-surgical causes. Surgical causes include blood or clots not rinsed out, contact of the tissues with foreign materials, drying out or handling of internal organs, and tissue incisions. Non-surgical causes include appendicitis, cancer radiation treatment, abdominal infections, or gynecological infections.
Adhesions that Cause Infertility
Abdominal adhesions can be a cause of female infertility by preventing the fertilized egg from getting to the uterus. The adhesions can do harm to the fallopian tubes like twisting or pulling them out of place. It is this damage to the fallopian tubes that can keep the eggs from getting from the ovaries to the uterus.
Adhesion Treatment
While surgery is often a cause of abdominal adhesions, it is also the only treatment option available. The treatment is not given if there is no pain or problems from the adhesions. However, if they are causing fertility issues or intestinal obstructions, surgery can break the adhesions and help in that aspect. If there is a complete intestinal blockage from the abdominal adhesions, it will have to be operated on immediately. Partial obstructions can get by sometimes with a low-residue or liquid diet. This low-residue diet has low fiber, and high dairy and can be broken down more easily by the digestive system into smaller particles that can ease through a partial blockage.
Abdominal adhesions are something that may never give an issue to the person that has them, letting them live a productive pain-free life. There are some in which the adhesions will cause problems with pain, blockages, and fertility problems. These may require treatment, depending on the patient and the patient’s living style.
Source: The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse