A most common cause of bowel obstruction is

ADHESIONS AND BANDS : Adhesions and bands are the commonest causes of intestinal obstruction in Western countries. In India, hernia and then adhesions are the two common causes of intestinal obstruction. Causes : Infection due to peritonitis, appendicitis, post-laparotomy, and other acute infective abdominal conditions. Type I : Fibrinous adhesions occur during the 5 - 10th postsurgical period. It usually gets resolved completely. It is avascular and flimsy. Type II : Fibrous adhesions. Due to lack/poor blood supply, bowel gets attached to part of peritoneum or omentum or other parts of the bowel with dense vascular adhesions to maintain blood supply. It will persist and precipitate intestinal obstruction, often-subacute and recurrent type. Adhesions due to tuberculosis are severe, dense and difficult to separate.