Adhesion-related complications are common, but rarely discussed in preoperative consent: a multicenter study

Peritoneal adhesions are recognized as an important cause for patient morbidity, but complications related to adhesions occur relatively late after the original operation. Therefore preoperative consent may not adequately reflect the proportions of the problem.

A total of 200 patients admitted for intraperitoneal operations at six hospitals were prospectively reviewed to identify whether adhesion-related complications were documented as possible adverse events in their respective consent forms.

Adhesion-related complications were documented in 8.5% (n=17) of consent forms (bowel obstruction n=8, requirement for further operations n=5, difficult reoperation n=1, pain n=3). A direct relationship with adhesions was noted in n=9 of these consent forms.

Preoperative informed consent does not adequately reflect the magnitude of adhesion-related problems. These findings have immediate implications for clinical practice.