Bowel Obstruction

Diagnosis

To diagnose a bowel obstruction, your doctor will need to feel and listen to your abdomen and feel inside your rectum. A blockage in the intestine is confirmed by X-rays of your abdomen, which show gas and liquid bowel contents above the area of the blockage, but no gas below the blockage. Blood tests must be done to check for dehydration or loss of electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium) if your symptoms have included vomiting.

If your doctor suspects you have a large-bowel obstruction, he or she may use a colonoscope, a tube that is inserted through the rectum to view the lower intestine. If the obstruction is caused by a volvulus, the passing of this instrument into the bowel not only confirms the diagnosis, but also untwists the intestine and relieves the obstruction.

It may not be possible to know the cause of a bowel obstruction unless surgery is done. Surgery permits a doctor to look at your intestine and at scar tissue if you have adhesions.

Expected Duration

Symptoms of small bowel obstruction and large bowel volvulus usually become severe over a period of hours. However, large-bowel obstruction caused by colorectal cancer or diverticular disease may worsen more slowly. Some patients have mild symptoms for several weeks or months before seeing a doctor. Once the diagnosis is made, a hospital stay is required and may last for several days. With successful treatment, the obstruction is relieved.