Adhesions

I had surgery to remove adhesions just about a year ago, they were wrapped around my colon and the ovary I have left. I feel them again and I am wondering - are adhesions REALLY thru no fault of the surgeon? I know so many people who look at me and say "you have so many problems, after my hyst I felt better than ever". Just wondering - thanks again. It feels good to look around here again!

I suffer from adhesions as well so I literally "feel" your pain. My adhesions had also adhered my bowels and my remaining ovary, as well as adhering everything to my abdominal wall. I had a large cyst on my left ovary and a hernia, it took 2 DR's 2 hours to get through the adhesions in order to do the repairs. As you well know, once you've had them you know what they feel like and don't need anyone to tell you that they are back. Big 's to you!!

It's my understanding that adhesions are nothing more than scar tissue forming as a result of trauma. (Just as a scar forms from an incision) So no, it's really not your Dr's "fault". There are preventative measures that can be taken during surgery to help minimize adhesion formation but these measures don't insure that adhesions won't form but in some cases they do help minimize the amount of adhesions that DO form. Some womes are also more prone to adhesion formation, it seems that I am one of the lucky ones!!

I hope for yours, my and the rest of the ladies who suffer from adhesions sake, that one day they come up with a definitve treatment for them and a way to prevent them. Best wishes to you.

Dawn

Thank you Dawn - I figured as much! I'm going for a colonoscopy soon and the gastro dr. usually 'splits' the adhesions off my colon and that helps somewhat. I must be an adhesions producer too Also have IBS and that makes it worse.

Kathy,
It's good to see you. However, I am sorry that you're still having problems.

As Dawn indicated any kind of trauma can cause adhesions to form. You don't even have to have surgery, I have read that adhesions can form after a major illness. There's lots of information on adhesions in our resources forum http://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/for...s=&forumid=159

Good luck on the colonscopy! Keep in touch.

Just place me in the adhesion sufferer category as well. Ever since my hyst on 1/17/03, I've had trouble with these blasted things and when I have IBS flare-ups they're worse. I'm going for a surgical consult with my gyne on 6/23 and we'll be setting a surgery date to do lysis of adhesions. She says there are barriers they can put down during laparoscopic surgery that they can't put down during an open TAH. She said that during an open surgery there is too much moving of organs and blood to be able to effectively lay down a barrier. Even at that, there's no guarantee they won't return (sigh) but she still thinks it's worth a shot. I don't know if I'm a typical adhesion grower or not - - I had a lap appendectomy 7 years ago and when my gyne did the TAH back in January she was expecting to find a lot of adhesions because I had given her the surgical report from the appendectomy which did show adhesion growth. To her surprise and mine there were minimal adhesions. I did a second opinion consult with a general surgeon today though and he confirmed that open surgeries were much worse for developing adhesions. Hopefully they'll be able to do the laparoscopic lysis of adhesions and I'll be like Dawn and this will take care of my problem.

I, too, am a club member. I had multiple surgeries for adhesions which originally started with c-sections over 18 yrs ago. Every time a dr has gone in they have found them in some form. My latest surgery was the worst with my bowels adhered and only ovary encased. I also had my Gallbladder removed during this surgery by my surgeon. Both drs were amazed at how many adhesions they found. I even had formed them on my gallbladder I guess due to the trauma of the attacks I was having. I am doing lots of research to avoid yet another surgery which as most of us know could make matters worse if my body doesn't respond well. Each of my surgeries were done by different drs except my last two so I guess even though technique and type of surgery play a role so does are individual body's response to trauma. Apparently, we are at least in better company in the last decades due to laproscopic surgery which is suppose to minimize them compared to full incision surgery. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to have several laps instead because I believe I could be in much worse shape if not. I did have a barrier this last surgery but I am not totally pain free and am still seeking answers as I have stated.

Even though I hate to read other post of ladies that suffer from adhesions, it does help to know that we are not alone, it isn't in our heads and we have each other.

s,
lenee