What are post surgery adhesions?

[Kate8989]

I had surgery 12 weeks ago, it was major endo exicison so know I’m at risk of adhesions.
I’d just like to know a bit about what they are and she symptoms they can cause?

Thanks a bunch x

They can develop quickly, but may not actually produce problems for years - 3 years, 10 years, 20 years whatever. Only some people are prone to them.

Adhesions are bands of fibrous scar tissue that can strangle internal organs.

Sadly, the only cure seems to be surgery which may produce further adhesions.

I'd love someone to come in this thread and say something more positive!

I’m curious to know what symptoms they cause? X

The symptoms of adhetions depend where it is and what organs are being affected. Organs should be able to freely move but the adhetions are bands of scar tissue which affect how they move. For example adhetions affecting the bowel cab cause constipation, diarrhea, pain, or a bowel obstruction. Adhetions on reproductive organs can impact fertility ones in joints can affect movement or on nerves can cause pain. Unfortunately because they are snall they would not normally be seen on scans and surgery is needed for diagnosis.

Thank you for that info... it’s really helpful! I had a lot of surgery on my bowel so wonder if I will get adhesions in that area. X

I had an ectopic burst my fallopian tube 18 yrs ago & I am due more surgery in a couple of weeks and I have warned them there may well be scar tissue & adhesions - but they think I am 'fussing'.....we will see!

Good luck Kate8989 - from a fellow Kate!

My understanding is most people will have adhetions after surgery. However, adhetions can often not be a problem. I have been advised to rest the bowel by using a liquid only diet if things feel very trapped. Make sure to tell them if you need hospital treatment about your previous surgery, in lots of people rest fluids and pain relief will allow things untrap.

In many ways it is the body doing too good of a job as it goes into overdrive and makes too much scar.

When you cut yourself, the two parts of the cut heal by sticking together with a collagen and fibrin mesh which the blood clot sits in and forms a scab. If it's a significant wound, it eventually forms a scar.

Inside your body, similar healing processes can take place, and where there have been divisions of tissue, either by blunt dissection (e.g. the surgeon just pushing the tissue layers apart to get to the deeper tissue) or by cutting or slicing, when the body heals, it doesn't always heal in the same way as it started out.

Sometimes, organs stick to each other, and it all gets a bit messy, or a bit of scar tissue forms in a band across part of a body cavity. It can cause no trouble for a long time, but then, say, a piece of bowel gets looped into that band and gets caught, or gets twisted, and it can suddenly become a medical emergency. But there is no way of telling that it was even there until it is a problem, so it isn't something to worry about.

My own experience of adhesions was bad enough to warrant corrective surgery. I had a laparoscopy to finally diagnose/zap my endometriosis.

Immediately afterwards I swelled disproportionately on one side and as I recovered, I had a dragging sensation which worsened when I emptied my bladder, often I would literally be lifting my tummy to ease the discomfort. I took to wearing tight support pants which helped a little.

They eventually agreed to do further surgery (12 months later) and found that my left ovary and urethra were stuck to my bowel, which was definitely not the case beforehand.
The relief ŵas instant.

I know the feeling of instant relief after surgery. After I had my lap to rejoice remove an cyst in recovery I immediately knew that a pain and pressure was gone from the other side. I later found out endometriosis and adhetions had been removed.

I am now getting the same sort of pain and its interesting you mention trousers as when I where compression sports leggins the pain is much better. I wonder if I should try tights or shaping garments for work.