title: Abdominal adhesions: intestinal obstruction, pain, and infertility.
abstract: Adhesions cause bowel obstruction, chronic abdominal pain, and infertility. In this review, the incidence, clinical signs, diagnostic procedures, and treatment of these sequels of abdominal surgery are discussed. Laparoscopic treatment of bowel obstruction, chronic pain, and infertility is feasible in selected patients and has been reported to cause fewer newly formed adhesions. Randomized controlled trials to compare open and laparoscopic surgery for adhesions should be executed with long-term follow-up to assess the success rates of adhesiolysis and compare the morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr. Molewaterplein 40, 3015 CD Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Vrijland
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeekel
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: van Geldorp
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Swank
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bonjer
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology*; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery