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Summary

Adhesions are bands of scar-like tissue. Normally, internal tissues and organs have slippery surfaces so they can shift easily as the body moves. Adhesions cause tissues and organs to stick together. They might connect the loops of the intestines to each other, to nearby organs, or to the wall of the abdomen. They can pull sections of the intestines out of place. This may block food from passing through the intestine.

Adhesions can occur anywhere in the body. But they often form after surgery on the abdomen. Almost everyone who has surgery on the abdomen gets adhesions. Some adhesions don't cause any problems. But when they partly or completely block the intestines, they cause symptoms such as:

• Severe abdominal pain or cramping
• Vomiting
• Bloating
• An inability to pass gas
• Constipation

Adhesions can sometimes cause infertility in women by preventing fertilized eggs from reaching the uterus.

No tests are available to detect adhesions. Doctors usually find them during surgery to diagnose other problems.

Some adhesions go away by themselves. If they partly block your intestines, a diet low in fiber can allow food to move easily through the affected area. If you have a complete intestinal obstruction, it is life-threatening. You should get immediate medical attention and may need surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

• Abdominal Adhesions (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Abdominal exploration - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Hysterosalpingography (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Laparoscopic Surgery (American College of Gastroenterology)
• Lower GI Series (Barium Enema) (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Intestinal Ischemia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Adhesions (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Tissue Adhesions (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Prediction of vesicouterine adhesions by transvaginal sonographic sliding sign technique: validation...
• Article: MR imaging for preoperative characterization of pelvic adhesions: role in diagnosis...
• Article: Is Infection Prevention or Adhesion Prevention the Ultimate Choice?
• Adhesions -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Children

• Labial Adhesions (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Labial Adhesions: A Guide for Parents (Boston Children's Hospital)

Women

• Endometriosis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Adhesion (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish