Small bowel obstruction

SBO is a medical emergency. Patients treated in a timely manner have a very good prognosis. In untreated patients, obstruction progresses to intestinal necrosis, perforation, sepsis, and multi-organ failure.

• Patients with previous surgery are most likely to have intestinal adhesions as a cause of the SBO. Such patients are at risk of recurrent SBO due to the formation of recurrent adhesions despite adequate adhesiolysis.

• Patients without prior surgery may have an underlying malignancy, inguinal hernia, congenital band, or Crohn's disease as the cause of the obstruction, and their outcome will be determined by the response to the underlying condition.