RECURRENT ADHESIVE INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION: A NEW HOPE FOR ITS PREVENTION

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of Postoperative Peritoneal Lavage (PPL) method (new method) in prevention of recurrent Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction (ASBO). Methods: A total of 40 patients were enrolled in this study. They were victims of ASBO. They were randomized into two groups. Group I (20 patients) were treated with adhesiolysis alone, and Group II (20 patients) were treated with adhesiolysis plus PPL. Patients were followed up for an average period of 25Vi months to detect the incidence of recurrent ASBO. Results: There were six recurrences (30%) in Group I while in Group II only one patient (5%) developed a recurrent episode of ASBO, which responded to conservative measures and didn t need surgery. The rate of surgical re-operation in PPL treated patient was zero. Conclusion: PPL is a new hope for prevention of recurrent ASBO that achieved significant reduction in recurrence rate