Intestinal obstruction is a common surgical condition. The main manifestations: abdominal distension, abdominal pain, cessation of gas and defecation. Intestinal obstruction can be recurrent and improve with appropriate treatment. In severe cases, improper treatment or delayed treatment can lead to serious consequences. The pathogenic factors can be classified as congenital or acquired factors. Most congenital cases are caused by fetal diseases or early intestinal diseases after birth, and most of these patients develop symptoms and signs soon after birth.
Acquired causes are mostly caused by infection from various factors in the abdominal cavity, intestinal malformation, trauma, and post-surgery. Therefore, most intestinal obstruction in adults is due to trauma, infection, and surgery. Past medical history is very important. It facilitates the doctor’s decision.
Intestinal obstruction can be caused by surgery, by disease (inflammation, parasites, tumors, intestinal malformations), or by obstruction within the intestinal lumen, obstruction caused by thickening of the intestinal wall, or obstruction caused by external pressure. If surgical treatment is needed, the treatment method is also inconsistent. Therefore, it is very important to inform the doctor in detail about the occurrence and development of the disease, and the more detailed the information, the better the doctor’s diagnosis will be. For example, the treatment of an intestinal obstruction caused by a previous tumor is completely different from that of an intestinal obstruction caused by a previous operation or inflammatory bowel disease.