Editorial Comment on: A. Smereczyński, T. Starzyńska, K. Kołaczyk, S. Bojko, M. Gałdyńska, E. Bernatowicz and A. Walecka Intra-abdominal adhesions in ultrasound. Parts I and II

• Main Author: Krzysztof Bielecki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Medical Communications Sp. z o.o. 2013-06-01
• Series: Journal of Ultrasonography
• Online Access: http://jultrason.pl/index.php/issues/volume-13-no-53/intra-abdominal-adhesions-in-ultrasound-parts-i-and-ii?aid=151

The  peritoneal adhesions and their clinical consequences, such as bowel obstruction, infertility in women and increased risk of extrauterine pregnancy, still remain an unsolved problem in contemporary intra-abdominal surgery. The frequency of occurrence of adhesions following laparotomies is estimated to reach 67–97%(1,2). The most common causes encompass a physical trauma (including surgical or thermal one, e.g. electrocoagulation), infection, ischemia and the presence of a foreign body (stitches, talc, gauze, intestinal contents). Peritoneal adhesions are the  most common cause of intestinal obstruction. The presence of adhesions increases the risk of each surgery and extends its duration, in particular, the  stage of opening the abdominal cavity. Adhesions increase the probability of damaging the intestine while opening the  abdominal cavity by 20%(3–5). Adhesive obstruction of the bowels may occur in 5% of patients who underwent a surgery(6). The adhesions which cause intestinal obstruction most frequently form after surgeries involving the large intestine as well as urologic and gynecological procedures. After laparoscopic procedures, adhesions appear more rarely and their preparation is easier(7–9).