Waking up day after day with abdominal pains of unknown origin, digestive disorders, or infertility-related complications is disturbing. If you have tried medications, dietary changes, and every home remedy in the book without results, the culprit might be adhesions. These are silent troublemakers formed by scar tissue binding together internal organs, which interferes with their normal function, causing debilitating pain. Adhesiolysis helps with recovery from this.
Apex Hospital – trusted for laparoscopic surgery in Sirsa – decided to write an extensive guide explaining the Adhesiolysis procedure, the risks associated, and the recovery process. Read on!
What is Adhesiolysis?
Adhesiolysis is a procedure that surgically removes or separates adhesions. Adhesions occur when scar tissue forms between internal organs, causing them to stick. These fibrous bands can lead to significant health issues, including chronic pain, digestive problems, and reproductive complications.
The different methods of performing adhesiolysis include:
Laparoscopic Adhesiolysis: A minimally invasive technique during which small incisions are made, and a camera-guided instrument is used to cut and remove adhesions.
Open Surgery (Laparotomy): This is an invasive procedure where a large incision is made to allow access for direct observation and removal of adhesions. This is usually done in cases with severe or widespread adhesions.
When is Adhesiolysis Necessary?
Adhesiolysis is recommended for the treatment of injurious adhesions causing important health problems, such as:
Chronic Abdominal or Pelvic Pain: Adhesions may cause chronic pain, because of which the patients may have undergone surgical interventions in the past, like abdominal surgery or endometriosis.
Bowel Obstruction: Severe adhesions may lead to intestinal obstruction with consequent nausea, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain.
Infertility: Adhesions involving the fallopian tubes or uterus may cause interference with fertility in women.
Restricted Organ Movement: In some cases, the impairment of normal organ movement due to the presence of adhesions compromises organ function.
Risks and Complications of Adhesiolysis
Being a surgical procedure, adhesiolysis is accompanied by certain surgical risks. Some of the important complications include:
Bleeding: There is a possibility of bleeding due to tissue-cutting during the procedure itself.
Infection: Any surgical intervention can pose a risk of infection, albeit this may be prevented with adequate post-operative care.
Injury to Adjacent Organs: Though remote, there exists a possibility of inadvertent injury to organs adjacent to the area of surgery-such as the bowel or bladder.
Local Recurrence of Adhesions: The unfortunate reality is that, after the procedure, adhesions might return, once again causing symptoms.
Risks of Anesthesia: Adverse reactions to anesthesia are seen in some patients.
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Recovery Process After Adhesiolysis
The recovery from adhesiolysis depends on the exact procedure performed, along with the patient’s overall health. A general view of the recovery timeline follows:
The Hospital Stay: Laparoscopy patients can expect discharge on the same day or within a maximum of 24 hours. Patients having open surgery might require a longer stay in the hospital itself (2 to 5 days).
Pain Control: Mild to moderate pain is expected postoperatively; therefore, analgesia may be offered.
Dietary Restrictions: If the adhesiolysis was done for a bowel obstruction, the resumption of normal eating would be gradual.
Activity: Patients should be prompted to walk lightly to prevent blood clots but should avoid heavy lifting for some weeks.
Follow-up Visits: Check-ups should be performed periodically to ensure the wound heals properly and no complications arise.
How to Reduce the Risk of Adhesion Formation Post-Surgery?
The efficacy of adhesiolysis in dealing with already existing adhesions is unquestionable, but its main challenge is how to prevent cyclical re-formation. However, certain measures may be undertaken to minimize this occurrence:
Minimally Invasive Surgery: Laparoscopic surgery is more preferable because it causes less trauma to the tissues and therefore less chance for adhesion formation.
Use of Adhesion Barriers: After the surgery, specialized gels or sheets are placed between tissues to keep them from sticking together.
Care After Surgery: A healthy diet, good hydration, and light movement can all aid in recovery while making adhesions less likely.
Avoiding Unnecessary Surgery: Surgery is a leading cause of adhesions, so all non-surgical treatment options should be pursued, whenever appropriate.
Consult Apex for Adhesiolysis Surgery
Adhesiolysis is an essential procedure for those suffering from complications created by adhesions. Although pain relief and quality of life may be significantly affected by the procedure, patients need to be made aware of the possible risks and recurrence. Get in touch with the experienced surgeon in Sirsa for minimal invasive laparoscopic surgery to treat adhesions.
For those who don’t know, Apex Hospital is one of the leading laparoscopy surgery and urology hospital in Sirsa with deep expertise in modern laparoscopic treatments. Call us at 91680 39000 to discuss your goals.
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