Band Adhesions in Relation to Previous Abdominal Surgery

Band Adhesions in Relation to Previous Abdominal Surgery - a Retrospective Analysis of Risk Factors

This study investigates the prevalence of previous abdominal surgery in a cohort of patients operated for bowel obstruction and analyzes the causes of obstruction discovered at surgery.

Postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions are a common cause of small bowel obstruction. The extent of adhesions has been assigned to the magnitude of previous surgery. In a county hospital, with a catchment population of 120 000 inhabitants, records of operations performed for bowel obstruction over a period of 70 months were retrieved. Codes for bowel obstruction according to an International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) will include: Intestinal adhesion with obstruction, Other and unspecified intestinal obstruction, Intestinal obstruction and Peritoneal adhesions. Amount of adhesions will be calculated in relation to previous surgery.

Inclusion Criteria:

Subjects operated for bowel obstruction -from January 1st 2006 to October 31st 2011

Surgical codes for bowel obstruction:

• Intestinal adhesion with obstruction
• Other and unspecified intestinal obstruction
• Intestinal obstruction
• Unspecified and Peritoneal adhesions

Surgical procedures identified for bowel obstruction:

• Division of band adhesion
• Adhesiolysis
• Other separation of adhesion during bowel obstruction
• Laparotomy and reposition or detorsion of intestine.

Exclusion Criterias:

-Extra-peritoneal surgery such as inguinal or ventral hernia repair was excluded.