Abdominal Adhesions

[Jillianjake]

Hi I have bowel adhesions where the adhesions kink the bowel and attach it to my abdominal wall. I had terrible symptoms, chronic constipation, bloating, shortness of breath, GERD and the rest. I've had every test under the sun, MRI, Barrium
Swallows, H Pylori, scans, xrays and cause nothing was showing, the docs decided it was my uterus, my gyno did an exploratory laparoscopic to check out my uterus and when I woke up, he said their is nothing wrong with your uterus, but your bowel was kinked and attached to your abdominal wall all along your left side. I had been in agony and I swear within 2 days I was completely better, that was back in 2017. Now 3 years latter they are back again and now I cant find a surgeon to divided them as they all say they will grow back worse, in the mean time I am living on a fodmap diet and in unbearable pain...does anyone know of any surgeons in Western Australia that will do adhesiology dividing? Has anyone has this done more than once and if so what were your results the second time around? I look forward to any advise someone can offer...thank you

I'm sorry you're suffering like this.

Do you know why they formed in the first place? It's true surgery can be a temporary solution because they can reform from the trauma of operating but their cause may also be a factor here.

Unfortunately, I cannot help with a surgeon in Australia but I think you need to persist with different consultants/surgeons for a long term management plan.

In reality, you might be looking at long term management of the adhesions rather than a simple solution and this will take trial and error.

Are you under the care of a dietician? They can help find an ongoing nutrition plan thats easier for you to follow and helps with long term management.

With regards to pain, have a look at the Curable app which helps people manage chronic debilitating pain. If you suffer from bowel pain then you might find things like peppermint tea can help ease it, or resting your bowel for a day - but you really need the guidance of medical professionals here and i think you're looking at a cross-discipline team to help.

I know people living with similar problems from adhesions and it's not an easy thing to manage but through trial and error they've found a way that works for them.

I also know first hand the toll chronic pain takes on a person which is why I think you'll benefit from nonsurgical approaches too.

It sounds like your care needs to be overseen by someone with experience of this problem as a result of it's initial cause. Eg - has the scarring developed from an infection? Or should that supervisory role be undertaken by a pain specialist?

I understand your desperation, you might find that you gain better traction with your medical team if you demonstrate willing to explore other management routes because their reluctance to operate again is valid. If alternative approaches don't work for you then you might find they're open to considering some sort of surgery again(?)

I wish you the best of luck - don't give up, there are ways to help you with this and there is light at the end of the tunnel, you just need to find the right experts

• In case I wasn't clear, please don't undertake new suggestions and approaches without the guidance and approval of medical professionals. I'm not one and things like resting bowels and supplements need to be done with guidance from those treating you.

Thanks TaraR2020, I am currently under a dietician and on a fodmap diet. I am also under a gastroenterologist, a colorectal surgeon whose saying its just IBS as nothing is showing on my MRI or scans. Another surgeon told me just not to take fibre and live on clear soup and laxatives for the rest of my life. I have had soft tissue manipulation by a physiotherapist. I have also seen a Naturopath, had red light therapy, and hypnotherapy. I have been to emergency 3 times in the last 3 months with chronic pain. The emergency doctor has now put me on antibiotics, buscopan, ducolax which I have been on for 6 months for constipation, De Gas (peppermint), Iberisgig, and a PPi.
I had a hernia operation over 25years ago so I thought that was the cause but when I said this to the colorectal surgeon, he said I doubt it, its probably IBS and put me on a fodmap diet. Its difficult for me to believe this when I have a written report from the previous surgeon that divided them who is now retired. He also said to me that he couldn't believe I was even walking around as my bowel was so kinked. After the operation I was back to normal within 24 hours and all pain had gone. I even now have coccyx pain from them. I think I added to them coming back as I did not know I wasn't meant to do abdominal exercise until I read some forums, which I went hard at after I recovered from the operation. I hope this paints a better picture of my condition, thanks so much.

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