What are the causes and principles of management of adhesive intestinal obstruction?

  Adhesive Intestinal Obstruction (AIO) is a condition in which intestinal contents cannot pass smoothly in the intestine due to intestinal adhesions in the abdominal cavity caused by various reasons. When the passage of intestinal contents is blocked, a series of symptoms such as abdominal distension, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, and bowel obstruction can be produced. It belongs to the category of mechanical intestinal obstruction, which can be divided into acute intestinal obstruction and chronic intestinal obstruction according to the urgency of onset; complete intestinal obstruction and incomplete intestinal obstruction according to the degree of obstruction; high small bowel obstruction, low small bowel obstruction and colonic obstruction according to the site of obstruction; simple intestinal obstruction and strangulated intestinal obstruction according to the blood supply to the intestine. The disease can be partially treated by non-surgical treatment, but most of the recurrent attacks or conservative treatment is ineffective and still need to receive surgical treatment.  Strangulated intestinal obstruction is mostly acquired, except for a few congenital factors in the abdominal cavity, such as congenital developmental abnormalities or meconium peritonitis. The common causes are abdominal inflammation, injury, bleeding, and abdominal foreign body, mostly seen after abdominal surgery or abdominal inflammation, among which adhesions after abdominal surgery are currently the first cause of intestinal obstruction, in addition to abdominal radiotherapy and abdominal chemotherapy can also lead to adhesive intestinal obstruction. Pelvic surgery (e.g., after gynecological surgery, appendectomy, and colorectal surgery) and lower abdominal surgery are particularly prone to intestinal adhesions and intestinal obstruction because the pelvic small bowel is more free, whereas the upper abdominal small bowel is relatively fixed. However, intestinal obstruction does not always occur in patients with intestinal adhesions, and the occurrence of adhesive intestinal obstruction does not necessarily mean that there are extensive and severe abdominal adhesions. Adhesive intestinal obstruction can only occur when the intestinal tube adhesions form an acute angle that obstructs the passage of intestinal contents, when the two ends of the adhesion band are fixed to bind the intestinal collaterals, or when a group of intestinal collaterals are adherent to a group and the intestinal wall is scarred and narrowed.  In adults, the small intestine is about 5-7 meters long and has a small space in the abdominal cavity. It can work normally because the intestinal tube is peristaltic in a prograde direction and does not interfere with each other, similar to a soft water pipe. Regardless of abdominal infection, trauma, surgery, etc., are harmful factors, in response to harmful factors, the body will secrete fibrin (similar to glue), using the surrounding tissue to form a package to prevent the spread of harmful factors leading to serious consequences, or even death. The greater the injury, the heavier the secretion of fibrin and the adhesion of surrounding tissues. If the harmful factors are controlled or removed, the body will reabsorb the fibrin, which takes about 3-6 months. During this time there will be frequent abdominal discomfort. This is what the old people call an open wound, right?  If the infection or injury is heavy, excessive secretion of fibrin or recurrent attacks, fibrin forms fibrous bands, causing the intestinal tube to be suspended in the anterior abdominal wall or jamming the intestinal tube or the adhesions between the intestinal tube are tortuous into the angle, which will lead to the obstruction of the passage of food and intestinal fluid, and the clinical manifestation is recurrent intestinal obstruction. For intestinal obstruction caused by the formation of fibrous band, the cause can only be removed through surgery. However, surgery is still an injury and can induce new adhesions. Therefore, the indications for surgery should be weighed. If surgery is needed, the less traumatic the better, including the surgical approach, surgical technique, surgical experience, postoperative management and patient lifestyle adjustment, etc. Laparoscopic adhesiolysis should be the better treatment at present.