Dorothy FarrarAdhesions
Adhesion is a common problem. This is a growing together of different organs that can cause any kind of pain. Above all, the rate of adhesions after operations is very high. The consequences can be harmless, but also life-threatening, for example in the case of an intestinal blockage.
What are adhesions?
In adhesions, tissues that are not normally connected grow together. As a result, the organs in the abdomen are glued to other tissues with which they are not actually connected. Adhesions appear like thin sheets of tissue. They look like thick fibrous bands or a sheet of plastic. Adhesions can form anywhere, for example around the spine , the heart and in the hand area. Accordingly, they cause the troubles. Adhesions can also involve the woman’s internal genital organs, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes, and thus lead to painful sexual intercourse, pelvic pain and infertility .
causes
Adhesions are usually caused by surgical interventions in the abdomen, which injure the peritoneum. Peritonitis can also be a trigger. In women, endometriosis sometimes also plays a role. It is a benign but painful chronic condition in which uterine tissue occurs in foreign organs outside the uterine cavity.
For example, when the peritoneum is injured, a layer of fibrin forms to cover the wound. This sticky coating is supposed to speed up the healing process. However, the organs are very close together within the abdomen. They are often only separated from one another by a corresponding liquid film. This can lead to adhesions in damaged areas. Normally, the coating is broken down after the wound has healed, causing the neighboring organs to separate again. On the other hand, if the breakdown of fibrin is delayed, new connective tissue cells are created , which allow the peritoneum to stick to the connective tissue of other organs. This results in an adhesion.
symptoms and course
Typical symptoms of adhesions:
- pelvic pain
- chronic abdominal pain
Adhesions are usually harmless and cause no symptoms. However, in some cases they can have serious consequences. Chronic lower abdominal pain is common. These are caused by reduced mobility of the organs affected by the adhesion. The pain arises because nerve connections form within the adhesion cord. As a result, the patient’s quality of life is often significantly impaired.
Worse consequences include the late effects that can develop from it. For example, adhesions in the area of the ovaries or the fallopian tubes can lead to infertility. This is because egg transport is no longer normal. Another serious consequence can result from adhesions with the intestine . In this case, in addition to chronic abdominal pain, flatulence and stool irregularities, an intestinal obstruction is also possible.
Diagnose
The diagnosis of an adhesion is usually not easy to make. In the event of corresponding complaints, the doctor first conducts a detailed patient survey. Individual and larger strands of adhesions can sometimes be detected by means of ultrasound . Other examination methods when adhesions are suspected are colonoscopy , imaging of the small intestine using a contrast medium, and computed tomography .
With these examination methods, however, the adhesions are only reproduced indirectly. In concrete terms, they can be shown with non-invasive examinations. In many cases, however, it is only possible to diagnose an existing adhesion after an operation. In principle, other diseases of the organs that can cause the same or similar symptoms must be ruled out.
treatment and therapy
If the patient suffers from severe, recurring symptoms, the adhesions can be severed by surgery. This is referred to as adhesiolysis. In the past, this method was considered very reluctantly by surgeons, because new adhesions can develop afterwards. However, if the adhesiolysis is performed using a laparoscopy, this risk is much lower.
Very small skin incisions are made in the area of the navel as well as in the lower abdomen and, if necessary, in the middle abdomen. This creates the channels required for the endoscope and other necessary instruments. The abdomen is filled with carbon dioxide (gas), causing the abdominal wall to rise. The abdomen can be viewed and it is possible to work on it with the instruments. The surgeon sees the operating area on a monitor and, if he finds adhesions, can separate them with scissors.
The aim of this operation is to completely loosen all adhesions. In some patients, however, these are so pronounced that it is not always possible and it may be necessary to switch to open surgery. This more complex operation is performed under general anesthesia . To prevent adhesions, however, more and more gentle surgical technologies are used, which cause as few tissue defects as possible.
prevention
Unfortunately, adhesion formation or remodeling is still an unavoidable event that occurs in many surgeries. There are numerous barriers or barriers that have been examined, none of which has been able to demonstrate effectiveness in the various studies.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.