Pelvic Adhesions (Scar Tissue)
Let’s learn together about their causes, symptoms, diagnosis methods, and treatments 🤝
Endometriosis is the most common cause of adhesions in the pelvic and abdominal cavity.
Other causes include:
- Previous traditional (open) surgery
- Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Adhesions caused by endometriosis tend to be dense, sometimes aggressive, and appear as fibrous bands that contain endometrial implants and inflammation. That’s why they can be very painful.
On the other hand, adhesions caused by traditional surgery are usually just fibrous bands and may alter the normal anatomical position of organs depending on their severity.
These adhesions can form and create “wounds” inside the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, small intestine, the pelvic wall, between the bowel and rectum, and the rectovaginal septum.
These “sticky” adhesions can fill the space between organs with tissue full of scars and inflammatory enzymes — leading to chronic pelvic and abdominal pain. Pain with every movement, every breath.
They may also cause bowel obstruction and trigger irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with all its symptoms. 🤷
In the end, adhesions are hidden — they cannot be detected through standard medical examination or even various types of imaging.
But they can definitely be diagnosed — and often treated — through diagnostic laparoscopy.