Bowel obstructions caused by adhesions following abdominal surgery

Such great advice. My small bowel obstruction surgery years ago taught me very similar lessons. Fiber was my big enemy for a long time and I have been able to bring back small amounts of some of the suspended foods after 5 plus years. I still eat such small meals that my nutrition is lacking, but things got better over time. Stomach massages help break up adhesions around the surgery site I think and …thanks for reminding me about the heating pad!! Appreciate your posting.

Re the massage... any advice on how to do it? Is there some guide? I eat erratically and while I *think* I am ok, it is hard to find a nutritionist in my town who actually can offer advice and understands the situation. Hang in there!

Completely sympathize as after multiple ectopic pregnancies and surgeries I found myself in the same situation. I have had multiple attacks, hospitalizations and the dreaded NG. I try to follow a low residue diet, have given up most foods I love, eat small meals... and slowly... I exercise, I use a heating pad on my abdomen every night... and pray that I haven't accidentally done something wrong to trigger another attack. It is not fun. I haven't found anyone who can suggest alternatives ... thought about Clear Passage, but I was unsure and you've confirmed that it is not a guarantee... My only consolation is that with this group, I am not alone.

I have also gotten conflicting advice.. which is so frustrating. I try to watch everything I eat, but it is exhausting...Like you, I panic every time I don't feel great. But, sharing our stories is a good way for me to know that I am not alone.

Hello there Amanda, not sure if you were asking me to share, but would really like you to introduce me to other members who are going through all of these bowel obstruction in this community. Here is a little more information. I had Endometrial Stage 3 Cancer in 2008 and they did a hysterectomy and removed about 10 lymph nodes out of my right leg also. I was fine until 2013 when all the bowel problems started. Diarrhea all the time and bowel accidents every time I went out. That is still going on today. I have had 2-3 bowel obstructions every year and at first I could just go to bed with the heating pad and not eat for 3 days and then go on broth for another 4 days. It would take about 10 days to get feeling a little back to normal. With the obstructions I would have to go to bed and stay there. My first trip to the ER by ambulance was in January 2022. There was so much pain and I was throwing up stool. Sorry, that is pretty gross. Then I have had another obstruction in March and was able to get rid of it on my own. Another week of fatigue and just having broth. In 2019 I started to have a sore mouth and saw the Dermatologist for a year and he tried Protopic, but has soon as I went off of it, the sores would come back. He did a biopsy and it was too small to diagnose. He just told me that I had Oral Lichen Planus and said there really isn't much that you can do about it and it will never go away totally. In January 2021 I dropped a huge jar of Kraft Peanut Butter from Costco on the top of my foot. Because of that I have Lymphedema now from my toes to my thigh. It started because of the lymph nodes that were removed from my leg after the Cancer surgery. I am 71 years old and live in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I would love to go to the Mayo Clinic, but don't think that I can afford the medical bills. Well, thanks for reading my story. Thanks to all of you for letting me know what you are going through. Just wish that all of us could be 100% again. Take care, Judy.

I started slowly adding probiotic .. I chose Keifer, and followed FODMAP elimination diet to see which foods in general might cause cramping, etc. my good foods were white rice, fish, eggs, and cheesecake for extra calories. Gluten free bread and 1/2 banana, coconut water, broth, all worked best initially.. gradually I could add a food one at a time to see if I was ok for a few days. Also watch for diverticulitis! And H Pylori! Also, thank God for stool softeners and Gas-x! It does get better!

My wife Lynn had open abdominal surgery at Mayo in 2015 and 2016. In May 2018 she began having partial SBO's. As of September 2022, she has experienced 25+ SBO's which keep her in bed for 2 days (sleeping) and NPO. She goes into the local hospital outpatient for IV fluids for 3-5 days. It takes another 4-5 days to generally get back to normal. When she feels one coming on she quits eating and drinking and crawls into bed. I immediately call her oncologist and arrange for her to get fluids because without fluids she goes downhill fast and it really gets bad. She is very nauseated, but has never actually vomited. She takes no pain meds.

Early on, after she had experienced three or four, we met with her surgeon and he said that when it gets to a point where it interferes with you life, then you might want to do something about it. That is clearly where we are. The pain level is an 8-10. and my wife has a high pain threshold -- three natural childbirths with no meds (even our daughters shutter).

We've met with three dietitians (one at Mayo), two gastroenterologists (one at Mayo) and have tried removing stress, breathing, PT massages on the abdomen. The SBO's occur (on average) every two months or so and come on like a light bulb. We really can't travel anymore (especially outside of the U.S.)

My wife is having lysis surgery at Mayo on Oct 3, 2022 to try and get some relief. I also should mention that Lynn has been scanned three times over 4 years during an SBO. After examining the scans, the surgeon said that while there isn't a 'smoking gun', the issue may be multifocal and multifactorial – multiple issues in multiple areas. It will be full open surgery. While she is doing lysis, she will palpate my wifes entire small bowel for any neuroendocrine tumors that may not have been revealed on scan. She has NETs or neuroendocrine cancer (mid-gut, mets to the liver). She also has carcinoid heart disease which has affected her tricuspid valve (leaking).

Hi! I know this is a really old thread but I have had two bowel obstructions in the past two years and I still have 24/7 abdominal pain. Are you still struggling?

I have not visited this group for a while, but I am still here, and still suffering from SBOs - they seem to occur every couple of months... and range from really painful to simply annoying... I am starting to research the potential for laparoscopic surgery ... but I wonder if it will do more harm than good. My research shows mixed results. I have tried a number of things, from closely monitoring diet to exercise to heating pads .. but I still live in constant fear of another attack. Anyone have any comments on surgery?

I had a total hysterectomy in February 2022. I had extensive lysis of adhesions done at that time, over 6 hours, and I had another bowel obstruction in July 2022. For me, it seems that the adhesions re form very quickly.