Overview
Releasing internal scar tissue — carefully chosen patients.
Adhesions are bands of internal scar tissue that form after almost any abdominal or pelvic operation, infection, or inflammation. Most adhesions are silent. A smaller group of patients develop chronic pain, repeated partial bowel obstructions, or reproductive problems that can be traced to them. Elective lysis of adhesions is the operation we offer those patients — a planned, minimally invasive procedure to release the offending scar tissue and restore normal mobility of the bowel and pelvic structures.
This page covers elective adhesiolysis for chronic symptoms. If you are in the hospital with an acute small-bowel obstruction and were sent here looking for information, please see our adhesiolysis for SBO page instead. Elective adhesiolysis requires more careful patient selection than the emergency version: not every painful belly is helped by surgery, and adhesions can reform. We will be honest with you in the office about what surgery can — and cannot — be expected to do.
Who is a candidate?
The patients most likely to benefit from elective adhesiolysis are those with documented partial small-bowel obstruction episodes — confirmed on imaging — that come and go. Patients with chronic pain alone are a more nuanced group: some have clear pain mapped to adhesions on imaging or laparoscopy, and they often do well. Others have diffuse, ill-defined pain where the surgical benefit is uncertain. We are honest about that in the office. Pre-operative workup includes review of all imaging, exclusion of other causes (gynecologic, neurologic, urologic), and a frank discussion about expectations.
How we perform it
Adhesiolysis is performed under general anesthesia. Whenever possible we use a minimally invasive approach — robotic or laparoscopic — through three to five small incisions. The first port is placed in an area we expect to be free of dense adhesions. Carbon dioxide insufflates the abdomen, and we systematically work around the abdomen, dividing adhesions with scissors and energy devices. Bowel loops are inspected for any damage. The dissection is careful and methodical; the goal is to release the bowel without injuring it. Operations usually take 90 minutes to several hours depending on density.
Recovery
Most patients stay 1–2 nights, until their bowel begins to function. You will walk the evening of surgery, begin clear liquids, and advance to a regular diet as tolerated. Pain is controlled with non-opioid medication for most patients. Desk work is possible at 1–2 weeks, full activity at 3–4 weeks. We will see you 1–2 weeks after surgery in our Coral Springs office. Long-term, you should call us promptly if obstruction-type symptoms return — most patients have meaningful improvement, but some have recurrent symptoms that need re-imaging.
Why Florida Surgical
Adhesiolysis is one of the most technique-dependent operations in general surgery. The judgment about when to operate, where to place the first port, when to convert from minimally invasive to open, and how to handle damaged bowel separates good outcomes from complications. Dr. Shaw and Dr. Decio have extensive experience with redo abdominal surgery and approach these cases as a team for the most complex patients. We won't push you toward surgery if we don't think it will help — and we won't shy away from it if we think it will.
Frequently asked questions
Is surgery for chronic adhesion pain effective?
Results are mixed and depend heavily on selection. Patients with imaging-confirmed partial obstructions or clear pain mapped to adhesions on laparoscopy often do very well. Patients with diffuse chronic pain have less predictable results — adhesions can reform and pain can persist. We have an honest conversation about this in the office before recommending surgery.
How is elective lysis of adhesions different from emergency surgery for obstruction?
Emergency surgery is performed on a distended, blocked bowel under stress and time pressure — often by open laparotomy. Elective surgery is planned, with careful patient selection, full pre-op workup, and a much higher rate of being completed through small incisions with shorter recovery.
Can adhesions form again after surgery?
Yes. Any abdominal operation — including this one — can cause new adhesions. We use gentle tissue handling, minimal foreign material, and sometimes bioabsorbable adhesion barriers (Seprafilm and similar) in selected cases to reduce that risk. There is no way to guarantee adhesions will not return.
How long is recovery?
After minimally invasive elective adhesiolysis, most patients are home in 1–2 days, back to desk work in 1–2 weeks, and at full activity by 3–4 weeks. Open or particularly extensive cases take 4–6 weeks.
Will my insurance cover this?
Most insurance plans cover lysis of adhesions when there is documented partial obstruction or chronic pain that has failed conservative management. Our office handles pre-authorization and will verify coverage with your plan before scheduling.