Generality
The abdominal adhesions are bands of fibrous-scar tissue, which glue in an anomalous way normally disjoint parts of the same organ of the abdomen or two distinct organs / tissues of the abdomen located in close contact with each other.
Like adhesions affecting other regions of the human body, abdominal adhesions are a result of the repair mechanisms that can be set in motion by tissue injuries from surgery, a particular infection, severe blunt trauma, severe inflammatory state or " exposure to ionizing radiation.
Usually located in the intestine, abdominal adhesions have, as their main cause, abdominal surgery (more than 90% of cases) and are responsible, when they are symptomatic, for a characteristic chronic pain in the abdomen.
In order to establish with certainty the presence of abdominal adhesions, the use of exploratory laparoscopy is essential.
The treatment of abdominal adhesions is surgical and consists of an operation to remove the fibrous-scarring bands, known as adhesiolysis.
Currently, adhesiolysis is achievable in laparoscopy or laparotomy.
