Causes of intestinal obstruction after rectal cancer surgery

Causes of intestinal obstruction after rectal cancer surgery:

Intestinal obstruction after rectal cancer surgery may be caused by intestinal adhesions or recurrence of abdominal tumors. Because the patient has undergone abdominal surgery, adhesions will form in the abdominal cavity. More commonly, adhesions form between the small intestine and the abdominal cavity, thus causing adhesive intestinal obstruction.

If the patient's symptoms are mild, the abdominal pain is generally mild and paroxysmal, usually without nausea or vomiting, and there is no obvious cessation of anal flatulence and defecation. Of course, if the patient's condition worsens or eats food that is difficult to digest, it may lead to an acute attack of intestinal obstruction. The patient will have obvious abdominal pain, abdominal distension accompanied by nausea, vomiting, cessation of anal flatulence and defecation, etc. Most patients' condition can be improved through conservative medical treatment.

Of course, it may also be intestinal obstruction caused by tumor recurrence, because rectal cancer surgery may cause tumor recurrence. If the tumor spreads and implants in the abdominal cavity, intestinal obstruction may form. Usually, over time, the patient's condition will gradually worsen, from incomplete intestinal obstruction to complete intestinal obstruction, with very obvious abdominal distension, accompanied by abdominal effusion and ascites, as well as severe hypoproteinemia and malignant fluid.