What is the most common cause of bowel obstruction in adults?

Bowel obstruction is a critical condition requiring prompt diagnosis and management. In adults, the most prevalent cause of bowel obstruction is adhesions. Adhesions are fibrous bands of tissue that can form between abdominal tissues and organs after surgery or due to inflammatory processes.

After abdominal surgery, it is common for patients to develop adhesions, which can lead to segments of the bowel being trapped or compressed, resulting in an obstruction. This can occur even years after the initial surgery.

While other causes, such as tumors, hernias, and fecal impaction, can also lead to bowel obstruction, they are less common compared to adhesions, particularly in the context of prior surgical history. Tumors can cause obstruction primarily by compressing the bowel, and hernias can obstruct due to incarceration. Fecal impaction is more typical in certain populations, such as those who are elderly or have specific neurological conditions, but it does not compare in prevalence to adhesions arising from surgical interventions. Thus, adhesions remain the leading cause of bowel obstruction in adults.