Small Bowel Surgery

In Antalya, Nurten Sert (63), who suffered from severe abdominal pain after the umbilical hernia surgery she underwent in 2018 and whose small intestine was found to be stuck to the abdominal skin as a result of the examinations, regained her health with a 6-hour operation.

Nurten Sert, who lives in Manavgat, applied to the hospital many times due to abdominal pain and skin discharge complaints after two hernia surgeries 10 years apart. Although it was thought that this situation could be caused by surgical stitches in the examinations, she was referred to Antalya with the possibility of intestinal problems due to increased abdominal pain.

Antalya Training and Research Hospital General Surgery and Organ Transplantation Center Responsible Physician Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuğrul Çakır and his team determined that the small intestine had adhered to the patch used in previous hernia surgery and formed a ball-shaped mass. The patient underwent an urgent surgery and regained his health after a 6-hour operation. In the operation, the adherent intestines were separated from each other and a 25-centimeter portion was removed.

Details of the Operation

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuğrul Çakır stated in his statement that the patient’s small intestines formed an adherent and inflamed cluster in the abdomen and this situation has been going on since 2018. He stated that the patient had great difficulties in his daily life due to the opening of the intestines to the abdominal skin and the leakage of the contents.

He stated that if the adhesion is not resolved, the patient is at risk of ‘Short Bowel Syndrome’ and may have to take intravenous food supplements for the rest of his life or may need a small bowel transplant. He emphasized that the operation must be performed very delicately and carefully.

Successful Results

After the operation, all the intestines adhered to the abdominal skin were successfully separated and the operation was completed without patching the anterior abdominal wall. The patient’s eating and drinking functions returned to normal and abdominal pain disappeared. Most importantly, the appearance of the abdominal skin improved.

Emotions of the Patient and Family

Nurten Sert stated that she regained her health after the operation and thanked all the health personnel who contributed to this process. Sert’s daughter Berna Vural also expressed her happiness for the successful operation and expressed their gratitude especially to Tuğrul Hoca and his team.

Adhesions to the intestine and opening of the abdominal skin: A Rare Condition

Stating that although small intestine adhesions are common, an adhesion at the level experienced by Nurten Sert is rare, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çakır said that the patches used in the patient’s previous hernia surgeries may have caused this problem. These types of adhesions can cause serious infections and can open to the abdominal skin and cause serious health problems.