CONGENITAL ADHESIONS

by GILLIAN
(NORFOLK, UK)

G BURRELL AGE 65 - ECTOPIC PREGNANCY AGE 40, NO OTHER MEDICAL PROBLEMS, ON NO MEDICATIONS.

AGE 63 SUDDEN ONSET SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAINS FOLLOWED BY VOMITING. ADMITTED TO LOCAL A&E - TUMOUR SUSPECTED. LAPAROTOMY PERFORMED AND RESULT I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS CONGENITAL BAND ADHESIONS CAUSING SMALL BOWEL OBSTRUCTION. RECOVERY WAS GOOD.

AGE 65 - SAME SUDDEN ONSET OF SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAINS. ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL -LAPAROTOMY - PROBLEM SMALL BOWEL ADHESIONS ?RESULT OF PREVIOUS LAPAROTOMY?

I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO PREVENT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN WHICH CAUSES ME SOME DISTRESS.

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP PREVENT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN....DONT RELISH A LAPAROTOMY EVERY TWO YEARS


Hello Gillian from Norfolk.

Congenital adhesions are not uncommon unfortunately. They remain a frequent cause of sudden onset intestinal obstruction. Just as you have been told, there is virtually nothing under the sun you can do to prevent them causing an obstruction when they "decide" to. It is also important to know however that you could go on without any recurrence again. No one can predict if you could have obstruction again and when. It is perhaps a matter of just getting on with life and hope for the best.