Is intestinal adhesions after caesarean section dangerous?

The article was professionally consulted with Doctor Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Adhesions are a condition in which a group of tissues forms between organs in the abdomen. Normally, internal tissues and organs have slippery surfaces, allowing them to change easily as the body moves. Intestinal adhesions cause tissues and organs to become prone to sticking together. In fact, intestinal adhesions is a common disease in people who have undergone surgical interventions such as cesarean section, appendectomy or stone surgery...,
Symptoms of intestinal adhesions after cesarean section are abdominal pain, which can cause production pain when stretching. Reaching for an overhead object can cause pain from stretching; pelvic pain. There are also some other symptoms of intestinal adhesions after cesarean section such as cramps, vomiting, flatulence, abdominal swelling, constipation, loss of appetite and nausea; urinary tract disorder, frequent urination or urinary retention; anemia and nutritional deficiencies due to poor diet, anorexia, depression.
In particular, intestinal adhesions are also common in people with old incisions or those with gynecological infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, adnexitis, endometriosis ...

When a cesarean section is associated with intestinal adhesions, pregnant women who are not detected and treated at an early stage can endanger their health and life, some specific dangerous complications are as follows:
Intestinal obstruction due to fibrous tissue can cause obstruction in the intestinal lumen or pull the loop of the intestine to block the passage of food. Meanwhile, obstruction can cause loss of appetite, dry skin and mouth, thirst, less urination, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, bloating from the mixture of food and fluids, intestinal gas and fever due to enteritis. Necrosis: Post-cesarean intestinal adhesions can also cause intestinal volvulus along the axis, obstructing blood vessels, causing necrosis of the intestine. When the bowel is necrotic, the patient may present with symptoms such as severe abdominal cramps against the background of dull pain, intestinal boiling, nausea, vomiting, and rectal bleeding. In particular, intestinal adhesions after cesarean section can also cause infertility due to adhesions in the uterus, fallopian tubes or ectopic pregnancy due to adhesions in the fallopian tubes. Therefore, intestinal adhesions after cesarean section are very dangerous and need to be examined and treated promptly.

Depending on the degree of intestinal adhesions and the clinical manifestations of each pregnant woman, the doctor will give different specific indications for each case. If the patient does not have severe symptoms, it is possible to take care of the health so that the patient can recover after surgery. However, if there are symptoms affecting health, the doctor will consider surgical removal of adhesions for the patient to ensure health and reproductive function in the future.

After about a week of caesarean section, women can have their sutures removed and after about 10 days, they can be discharged from the hospital. Accordingly, in order to quickly heal wounds and limit intestinal adhesions after cesarean section, pregnant women should follow exactly what the doctor prescribes. Specifically as follows:
The mother should lie on her side, with a pillow behind her back, and at the same time should not lie on her back because stretched skin will cause pain in the surgical area. Pregnant women should not be fixed and motionless in one place, but should exercise gently after surgery to strengthen the activity of the intestines, stomach, and regulate gas soon. This helps the mother to avoid intestinal adhesions after cesarean section and blocked veins. After giving birth, you should also not eat full because it will make it difficult for the body to digest, causing a long-term accumulation that can easily cause constipation and easily stick to the intestines, intestinal obstruction.

Should be monitored regularly to know the incision to determine if the incision is infected, if the incision is pink, swollen, touching the incision is painful, and the surrounding swelling is swollen, it needs to be re-examined and checked. Go to the toilet properly and timely, do not hold back from going to the toilet heavily because it easily causes constipation after birth. After giving birth, do not work too soon, this will hurt the wound, cause pain and swelling. Clean the incision and vaginal area, do not bandage the wound too tightly. Because intestinal adhesions after cesarean section are very dangerous, when detecting symptoms or suspecting intestinal adhesions, the patient needs to quickly notify the doctor for diagnosis and proper treatment. promptly avoid dangerous complications affecting health as well as reproductive function later.