Bowel obstruction primary prevention

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Hadeel Maksoud M.D.[2]

Overview

There are no established measures for the primary prevention of bowel obstruction. However, minimizing the formation of an obstruction is possible. Steroid therapy may be used to minimize the formation of adhesions after bowel surgery, but is controversial. The correction of malrotation early in life, the treatment of Crohn’s disease, and the repair of hernia all contribute to minimizing the risk of bowel obstruction development. Recently, laparoscopic surgery has been preferred over open abdominal surgery because laparoscopy reduced the risk for obstruction post-operatively.

There are no established measures for the primary prevention of bowel obstruction.^[1]^[2]^[3]
However, minimizing the formation of an obstruction is possible via:
- Steroid therapy to minimize the formation of adhesions after bowel surgery, but is controversial
- Correction of malrotation early in life
- Treatment of Crohn’s disease
- Repair of hernia
- Laparoscopic surgery over open abdominal surgery

↑ Brüggmann D, Tchartchian G, Wallwiener M, Münstedt K, Tinneberg HR, Hackethal A (2010). “Intra-abdominal adhesions: definition, origin, significance in surgical practice, and treatment options”. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 107 (44): 769–75. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2010.0769. PMC 2992017. PMID 21116396.
↑ Kumar S, Wong PF, Leaper DJ (2009). “Intra-peritoneal prophylactic agents for preventing adhesions and adhesive intestinal obstruction after non-gynaecological abdominal surgery”. Cochrane Database Syst Rev (1): CD005080. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005080.pub2. PMID 19160246.
↑ Yamada T, Okabayashi K, Hasegawa H, Tsuruta M, Yoo JH, Seishima R, Kitagawa Y (2016). “Meta-analysis of the risk of small bowel obstruction following open or laparoscopic colorectal surgery”. Br J Surg. 103 (5): 493–503. doi:10.1002/bjs.10105. PMID 26898718.