Adhesions post hysterectomy, how will I know if I have them?

I keep hearing about adhesions. How will I know if I have them?

Adhesions are bands of fibrous scar tissue that form on abdominal organs, causing the organs to stick to one another or to the wall of the abdomen. Adhesions by themselves do not cause any pain. It's only when they become thicker (with time) that they may obstruct the bowel or pull on organs and entrap nerves, thereby causing those organs or nerves to hurt. Adhesions are very common with abdominal/pelvic surgery and often cause no symptoms. Certain activities immediately post op can increase our risk of adhesions, which is why its so important to follow your doctor's restrictions while we heal. Here is an article on this:

Adhesions

The definitive way to be diagnosed with adhesions is with a laparoscopy. Abdominal adhesions are permanent unless the patient has a surgical procedure, called adhesion lysis, that breaks up adhesions. Unfortunately they can be a recurring problem, because surgery is both the cause and the treatment.

I have had chronic pain since my hysterectomy. At 5 months post op, I asked my doctor if I had adhesions and she told me if I did, it was too early post op for them to be advanced enough to feel them. If you have unexplained pain, please speak with your doctor and ask if scans are indicated.