What are adhesions?
Adhesions are bands of scar-like tissue that form between two surfaces inside the body and cause them to stick together.
What is an intestinal obstruction? More details on all obstructions here.
This is when your intestines are blocked to the point where food and liquid can’t get through. These can be life-threatening and should be addressed immediately.
What is a partial intestinal obstruction?
This is a narrowing of the intestines or part of it is blocked. Reducing to a low-residue or liquid diet until it resolves is suggested.
Can surgery fix these?
Generally speaking, no. Surgery causes scar tissue and most doctors won’t consider surgery unless there is a life-threatening complete obstruction. Nearly all on the adhesions Facebook groups (Abdominal Adhesions Pain and Suffering and Adhesions and Scar Tissue There is Hope) who have had surgery to remove them have said that the adhesions returned worse than before.
Do these show up on an X-ray?
Previously, adhesions don’t show up on any diagnostic imaging. Sometimes the effects of the adhesions can be seen. A new method, cine-MRI, shows promise, but doesn’t appear to be widespread yet.