Practical implications of postoperative adhesions for preoperative consent and operative technique

Adhesions complicate most intra-peritoneal operations. Once adhesions have formed, patients are at life-long risk for complications that include small bowel obstruction, increased risks during subsequent operations and female infertility. This has two implications for the daily work of surgeons. On the one hand, surgeons need to include the risks from adhesions during pre-operative consent. On the other hand, surgeons need to use operative techniques that minimize adhesions. Therefore this review focuses on the practical implications of adhesions for preoperative consent and operative technique.