Frozen abdomen is a medical disorder that arises when recurrent surgical removal of fibrous bands in the abdomen leads to the development of scar tissue that prevents subsequent surgical treatments. These bands must be removed, as they can induce intestinal blockages, infertility, and bowel strangulation in severe situations.
Appendicitis, internal traumas, and abdominal procedures cause these adhesions, which induce discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and cramping by binding the tissues together.
An estimated 90 to 95 percent of surgery patients develop adhesions of various severity. The treatment spectrum ranges from strategies for managing intestinal blockage to surgical surgery. However, prolonged surgical intervention frequently worsens the illness over time. Surgical treatment and technology advancements have decreased the likelihood of patients having frozen abdomen, although the condition is still prevalent.
There have been tests of noninvasive treatments, but none have proven to be consistently effective. Due to the fact that surgery only provides short relief, it is reserved for individuals who do not react to other treatments. Patients with significant scarring that develops a bowel obstruction and places the bowels at risk of strangulation or necrosis are typically immediately operated on. Before the issue can be diagnosed and surgery indicated, it is necessary to rule out any other possible causes of pain, such as gallbladder disease.