Bowel Adhesions: These adhesions join together bowel areas, frequently by scar tissue from diseases such as Crohn’s disease or endometriosis or scar tissue from surgery. These adhesions can develop serious issues with functioning of the bowel. Though many individuals only have adhesions that are minor after most bowel surgery, there are times that the joining is substantial and can develop total or partial blockage of the bowel. If this happens, additional treatment or surgery may be needed to remove these adhesions or to repair any blockages.

The large and small bowels are structures that are complex and loop over each other in varied ways. When surgery is done or if any scarring develops from these organs, there is the possibility for bowel adhesions to develop. Portions of the bowel may get connected to each other through scar tissue or in diseases such as endometriosis, the endometrial tissue linking to areas of the bowel. This is specifically common in upper bowels. Due to the way bowels are arranged, it is not hard for any scarring to cause joining that can cause obstructions partially of the movement of liquids and foods.

When the adhesions in the bowel are substantial, they can cause obstruction that is total, causing severe abdominal as well as in some cases pelvic pain, incapacity for bowel movements, nausea with vomiting, often bowel perforation as well as fever. Bowel perforation is a risk that is great due to the contents of the bowel probably spilling into the abdominal cavity and developing infection system wide. These types of bowel problems are medical emergencies and need immediate treatment.