What is the most common cause of small bowel obstruction (SBO)?

Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a clinical condition where the intestine is partially or completely obstructed, leading to an inability to pass contents through the bowel. Among the various causes of SBO, adhesions are recognized as the most common culprit.

Adhesions are fibrous bands of scar tissue that can form after abdominal surgery or due to inflammatory processes. They can connect different sections of the intestine to each other or to other organs, causing a blockage. The history of surgical procedures, which are prevalent, significantly increases the likelihood of adhesions leading to post-surgical SBO.

While hernias, gallstones, and malignancies can certainly cause SBO, they are less frequent compared to adhesions. Hernias, for example, occur when a section of the bowel protrudes through a weakness in the abdominal wall, but they may not account for as high a number of cases as adhesions. Gallstones can lead to obstruction primarily through the formation of a fistula but are notably less common. Lastly, malignancy can cause obstruction as tumors grow and invade or compress the bowel, but such cases are generally not as prevalent as adhesion-related obstructions.

Overall, the high incidence of postoperative adhesions factored into the prevalence rate makes them the