Hi all,
I was just wondering if you could explain what adhesions are/ what they feel like/ adhesion symptoms/ treatment and other thoughts? Thank you
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Hi, I believe adhesions are almost scar like tissue inside where you've had surgery. In my experience, when docs have told me adhesions were the cause of my problems, it felt as though I was being cut in half by a sword! Hope I helped. Feel better.
Adhesions, the one's I am familiar with, are where 2 tissues grow together that shouldn't. Like your intestine adhering together or your intestine adhering to your body cavity wall (I'm not sure of a technical term for that).
I think I have a "mild" adhesion, where I can feel/watch my abs move with peristalsis. At least I think those are mild adhesions.
I think I have a "mild" adhesion, where I can feel/watch my abs move with peristalsis. At least I think those are mild adhesions.
Both of the above are correct. To clarify, adhesions are bands of scar tissue that form internally in response to surgery, trauma, infection, foreign bodies, etc. When viewed directly, they appear almost like ligaments or tendons, in that they are dense tissue that do not stretch.
Anyone who has had abdominal surgery has adhesions. Most of the time they feel like nothing because they do not have nerves in them, unless nerves got trapped in them incidentally. They do not show up on x-rays or other imaging, other than by what effect they may have on other structures or organs.
Adhesions feel like nothing to most people because they don't cause problems for the most part. But, when they do cause problems (for us in particular), it is generally in the form of small bowel obstruction, either partial or complete. So, if you look that up, then that is what it feels like. Some people who have chronic partial obstruction or nerves entrapped by adhesions will have chronic abdominal pain that is unexplained by ruling out other causes.
Treatment is either living with it or having them surgically released (lysis of adhesions). Most surgeons will avoid this, because more surgery can cause more adhesions, even if they use an adhesion barrier product (but those products do reduce the risk for most people). Some people state that they get good relief from deep tissue massage to break up adhesions, but I am not sure how safe it is or if tearing adhesions will cause new adhesions to form from the trauma and/or bleeding.
Hope that explains it enough for you.
Jan
Anyone who has had abdominal surgery has adhesions. Most of the time they feel like nothing because they do not have nerves in them, unless nerves got trapped in them incidentally. They do not show up on x-rays or other imaging, other than by what effect they may have on other structures or organs.
Adhesions feel like nothing to most people because they don't cause problems for the most part. But, when they do cause problems (for us in particular), it is generally in the form of small bowel obstruction, either partial or complete. So, if you look that up, then that is what it feels like. Some people who have chronic partial obstruction or nerves entrapped by adhesions will have chronic abdominal pain that is unexplained by ruling out other causes.
Treatment is either living with it or having them surgically released (lysis of adhesions). Most surgeons will avoid this, because more surgery can cause more adhesions, even if they use an adhesion barrier product (but those products do reduce the risk for most people). Some people state that they get good relief from deep tissue massage to break up adhesions, but I am not sure how safe it is or if tearing adhesions will cause new adhesions to form from the trauma and/or bleeding.
Hope that explains it enough for you.
Jan
Thanks for passing this information along. I have had my j pouch for 15 years and the last two have been very stressful with infection, partial blockages and lower abdomen pain. The past month has been especially fun. I also have rheumatoid arthritis. Double the fun! But, I keep to my daily routine , go to work ,and smiling as much as I can.
I had problems with adhesions when I was pregnant and they were being stretched and ended up going to the hospital because I was in so much pain. I also can feel one at my old stoma site when I stretch too far. Feels tight.