Medico-legal consequences of post-operative intra-abdominal adhesions

International Journal of Surgery

Volumn 7, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 187-191

  Ellis, Harold ^a   Crowe, Alison ^b  

^a KING'S COLLEGE LONDON   (United Kingdom)

^b Corvus Communications Limited ^*  (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Adhesions; Bowel perforation; Infertility; Medico legal; Risk; Small bowel obstruction; Surgery

Indexed keywords

ABDOMINAL ADHESION; ABDOMINAL DISEASE; ABDOMINAL PAIN; ABDOMINAL SURGERY; FEMALE INFERTILITY; HUMAN; INTESTINE PERFORATION; LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY; MEDICOLEGAL ASPECT; PELVIS SURGERY; POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; REVIEW; SMALL INTESTINE OBSTRUCTION; SURGICAL RISK;

ABDOMEN; ABDOMINAL PAIN; DYSPAREUNIA; FEMALE; GREAT BRITAIN; HUMANS; INFERTILITY, FEMALE; INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION; LAPAROSCOPY; LAPAROTOMY; MALE; MEDICAL ERRORS; POSTOPERATIVE COMPLICATIONS; TISSUE ADHESIONS; VISCERA;

EID: 67449096682     PISSN: 17439191     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2009.04.004     Document Type: Review

References (32)

1. DeWilde R.L., Trew G., and on behalf of the Expert Adhesions Working Party of the European Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE). Postoperative abdominal adhesions and their prevention in gynaecological surgery. Expert consensus position. Gynecol Surg 4 (2007) 161-168
2. Parker M.C., Wilson M.S., van Goor H., et al. Adhesions and colorectal surgery - call for action. Colorectal Dis 9 Suppl. 2 (2007) 66-72
3. Ellis H. Medicolegal consequences of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions. J R Soc Med 94 (2001) 331-332
4. Ellis H. Medicolegal consequences of adhesions. Hosp Med 65 (2004) 348-350
5. Menzies D., and Ellis H. Intestinal obstruction from adhesions - how big is the problem?. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 72 (1990) 60-63
6. Operative Laparoscopy Study Group. Postoperative adhesion development after operative laparoscopy: evaluation at early second-look procedures. Fertil Steril 55 (1991) 700-704
7. Lundorff P., Hahlin M., Källfelt B., Thorburn J., and Lindblom B. Adhesion formation after laparoscopic surgery in tubal pregnancy: a randomized trial versus laparotomy. Fertil Steril 55 (1991) 911-915
8. Nezhat C.R., Nezhat F.R., Metzger D.A., and Luciano A.A. Adhesion reformation after reproductive surgery by videolaseroscopy. Fertil Steril 53 (1990) 1008-1011
9. Wiseman D.M., Trout J.R., and Diamond M.P. The rates of adhesion development and the effects of crystalloid solutions on adhesion development in pelvic surgery. Fertil Steril 70 (1998) 702-711
10. Binda M.M., Molinas C.R., and Koninckx P.R. Reactive oxygen species and adhesion formation. Clinical implications in adhesion prevention. Hum Reprod 18 (2003) 2503-2507
11. Bhardwaj R., and Parker M.C. Impact of adhesions in colorectal surgery. Colorectal Dis 9 Suppl. 2 (2007) 45-53
12. van der Krabben A.A., Dijkstra F.R., Nieuwenhuijzen M., Reijnen M.M.P.J., Schaapveld M., and van Goor H. Morbidity and mortality of inadvertent enterotomy during adhesiotomy. Br J Surg 87 (2000) 467-471
13. Swank D.J., Swank-Bordewijk S.C.G., Hop W.C., et al. Laparoscopic adhesiolysis in patients with chronic abdominal pain: a blinded randomised controlled multi-centre trial. Lancet 361 (2003) 1247-1251
14. Ellis H., Moran B.J., Thompson J.N., et al. Adhesion-related hospital readmissions after abdominal and pelvic surgery: a retrospective cohort study. Lancet 353 (1999) 1476-1480
15. Nunoo-Mensah J.W., Rosen M., Chan L.S., et al. Prevalence of intra-abdominal surgery: what is an individual's lifetime risk?. South Med J 102 (2009) 25-29
16. Menzies D., Parker M., Hoare R., and Knight A. Small bowel obstruction due to postoperative adhesions: treatment patterns and associated costs in 110 hospital admissions. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 83 (2001) 40-46
17. Parker M.C., Ellis H., Moran B.J., et al. Postoperative adhesions: ten-year follow-up of 12,584 patients undergoing lower abdominal surgery. Dis Colon Rectum 44 (2001) 822-830
18. Lower A.M., Hawthorn R.J.S., Ellis H., O'Brien F., Buchan S., and Crowe A.M. The impact of adhesions on hospital readmissions over ten years after 8489 open gynaecological operations: an assessment from the Surgical and Clinical Adhesions Research Study. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 107 (2000) 855-862
19. Lower A.M., Hawthorn R.J.S., Clark D., et al. Adhesion-related readmissions following gynaecological laparoscopy or laparotomy in Scotland: an epidemiological study of 24,046 patients. Hum Reprod 19 (2004) 1877-1885
20. Parker M.C., Wilson M.S., Menzies D., et al. The SCAR-3 study: 5-year adhesion-related readmission risk following lower abdominal surgical procedures. Colorectal Dis 7 (2005) 551-558
21. Duron J.J., Tezenal du Montcel S., Berger A., et al. Prevalence and risk factors of mortality and morbidity after operation for adhesive postoperative small bowel obstruction. Am J Surg 195 (2008) 726-734
22. diZerega G.S. Biochemical events in peritoneal tissue repair. Eur J Surg Suppl 577 (1997) 10-16
23. Steege J.F. Clinical significance of adhesions in patients with chronic pelvic pain. In: diZerega G.S. (Ed). Peritoneal Surgery (1999), Springer-Verlag, New York 343-348
24. Sulaiman H., Gabella G., Davis C., et al. Presence and distribution of sensory nerve fibers in human peritoneal adhesions. Ann Surg 234 (2001) 256-261
25. van Goor H. Consequences and complications of peritoneal adhesions. Colorectal Dis 9 Suppl. 2 (2007) 25-34
26. Ungoed-Thomas J. Lawyers use NHS as £100 m cash cow/lawyers get more than victims in NHS compensation scandal. The Sunday Times (2009). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article5950420.ece [accessed 27.03.09]
27. Office of Public Sector Information. Health act 1999, Chapter 8. Available at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1999/ukpga_19990008_en_1 [accessed 27.03.09].
28. Skene L., and Smallwood R. Informed consent: lessons from Australia. BMJ 324 (2002) 39-41
29. NHS Litigation Authority. Informed Consent NHSLA Risk Alert. Available at: (2004). http://www.nhsla.com/NR/rdonlyres/AD7A7848-E9A3-4668-839F-43E54BBFA3A1/0 /RiskManagementAlert4.pdf [accessed 27.03.09]
30. Wilson M.S. Practicalities and costs of adhesions. Colorectal Dis 9 Suppl. 2 (2007) 60-65
31. Trew G. Postoperative adhesions and their prevention. Rev Gynaecol Perinat Pract 6 (2006) 47-56
32. DeWilde R.L., Trew G., and on behalf of the Expert Adhesions Working Party of the European Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE). Postoperative abdominal adhesions and their prevention in gynaecological surgery. Expert consensus position. Part 2 - steps to reduce adhesions. Gynecol Surg 4 (2007) 243-253