A diet low in fiber may help relieve partial intestinal blockage, a potential complication of bowel adhesions. Adhesions, or bands of scar tissue that connect the surfaces of abdominal organs, occur most often as a result of abdominal or pelvic surgery. Abdominal or pelvic infections, a ruptured appendix or radiation therapy may also cause the surfaces of your organs to band together. If your intestines become partially obstructed as a result of a bowel adhesion, a low-residue, low-fiber diet allows you to maintain your nutritional status until the blockage can be resolved. A complete obstruction is a medical emergency that requires immediate intervention.
Symptoms
Diagnostic tests such as X-rays, CT scans and barium studies can detect intestinal obstructions, but there are currently no tests to detect bowel adhesions. You may not be aware that you have intestinal adhesions until you experience chronic abdominal pain, the most common sign. Bowel adhesions may twist and displace the intestines, obstructing your digestive tract. Chronic abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting and loud bowel sounds may indicate that the adhesion has led to an intestinal blockage. Although a partial intestinal obstruction may resolve by itself, a complete blockage generally requires immediate surgery.
Low-Fiber Diet
If you are diagnosed with a partial intestinal obstruction caused by bowel adhesions, you doctor may advise you to avoid high-fiber foods, such as raw vegetables and fruits, whole and breads and cereals, beans and nuts until the blockage can be resolved. A partial intestinal obstruction may correct itself with a low-fiber, low-residue diet, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. A low-residue, low-fiber diet limits or eliminates foods that may leave undigested material in your intestinal tract. Soft breads, cereals and crackers made with refined flour replace whole-grain breads and cereals. Raw fruits and vegetables are replaced with well-cooked, canned or pureed fruits and vegetables and clear juices. A low-fiber diet may include soft fruits and vegetables, such as apricots, bananas and avocados, as well as tender meats, eggs and limited servings of dairy products. A low-fiber diet emphasizes foods that are easy for the digestive system to break down and absorb. Total fiber intake may be limited to less than 10 to 15 g daily.
Correcting Adhesions
A low-fiber, low-residue diet is not a long-term solution for bowel adhesions or their complications. If your abdominal pain, bloating and other symptoms do not resolve within a short period of time, your doctor may order surgery to break the adhesions, a procedure called adhesiolysis. Currently, surgery is the only effective way to remove bowel adhesions, although surgical intervention may worsen the problem by creating new scar tissue.
Maintaining Bowel Health
After an intestinal blockage caused by bowel adhesions has resolved, either through diet or surgical intervention, your doctor may recommend that you gradually add fiber back to your diet to maintain a healthy intestinal tract. A high-fiber diet promotes regular bowel movements, prevents constipation and may reduce your risk of hemorrhoids and diverticulosis, or the formation of weakened bulges in your intestinal lining. Men younger than 50 years of age should aim for 38 g of fiber each day, and women younger than 50 years of age should aim for 25 g daily, MayoClinic.com notes. To avoid constipation or gas, add fiber to your diet slowly and increase your intake of water, juice or other non-caffeinated fluids. If your abdominal pain, bloating or other symptoms return, contact your doctor immediately.
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