do adhesions form suddenly?

So I just had the adhesion thing where my bowel got all twisted. Is it something that happens gradually? I had noticed a few months back that I was having trouble with popcorn, and I never had before. Was that the start of it? Or did I literally just wake up that morning with it? I had been fine the night before and even emptied that morning.

It's gradual and the popcorn was a subtle sign. Before my ileo I had a narrowing that would only cause me problems with corn...I never put two and two together until I mentioned it to my doc!

From my understanding, the area of bowel by the stoma has more space, thus more free to maneuver. So, it could very well twist on it's own. Your one of the lucky ones. The majority of obstructions and volvulus is caused by adhesions.

In my case, I didn't have any warning, I just obstructed near my stoma and when I was in the ER, it opened. Suspected stomach flu but more likely adhesions.

They have an international adhesions society! That is how wide spread this problem is. SURE could have used THAT info prior to my pelvic organ prolapse surgery that got me into all this that on review was not needed. As mine not even a disease, I would never have had that if I had heard of all this adhesion stuff.

SOme interesting things being tried as far as adhesion barriers, and sprays and gel and drugs to take while healing. I Have heard that adhesions form in the first 7 to 10 days after a surgery. Then not after that. All my surgeons have told me that. BUT what I understand can happen is that as the free moving bowel length to the stoma moves it can kink on an adhesion that may be there. Summers was on the upper left, I think as bowel moves around it can get caught on an adhesion that was there from the original surgery. I don't think Summer grew more adhesions 5 years out. BUT I could be wrong. This is just the research I have done. There is so much info out there.

I think the person who finds a cure for adhesions can likely the quit their day job and live on the income from their discovery WOuld be exciting to be the scientist who discovers it. Rosemary

Mine was done open.
What I was told was anytime you are opened up your insides dry out and get sticky. Bowel twists or kinks can happen to anyone, coloned or not, but its more likely for people who've been opened up. I guess I could have been stuck together all along, and just now got twisted up.

Mine was all lap.

Mine was done Lap but I have had problems with adhesions from the start. Have had surgery once for adhesions and soon after began twisting up again really badly whenever I put any kind of pressure on my stomache. My doc has given me a referal to go back to my surgeon which I haven't done yet as I really don't want to go through another surgery. I know its a simple surgery but I just can't face it right now so I am hanging in there until I can't bare it anymore or until obstruction. Good luck Summer, hope you get sorted soon
Doreen

Summerstorm....

It was explained to us that your bowels are actually moving around all the time. With any open abdominal surgery just about everyone gets adhesions to some degree. (I think they form pretty soon right after surgery). We were told that they think it is a defence mechanism of the body to try to protect it's organs. Since the bowels are moving all the time they can get caught up on these adhesions. Obviously the more adhesions you have the more chance of an issue. In most cases, if the bowel gets caught up it can get itself "uncaught" in the same manner.

We were told that 30% of people that have had abdominal surgery (of any kind) will obstruct in the first 10 yrs and that it is mostly dumb luck. If you have one obstruction there is no reason to believe that you will get more.

Hope this helps,
Cathy

....we were also told that if someone comes up with a way to stop the body from making these adhesions they will be famous. This is one of the biggest problems that surgeons face that is beyond their control