DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2020.v08i01.044

Pages: 233-243

Introduction: Intestinal obstruction is one of the common acute abdominal emergencies in surgical practice. Early recognition and prompt intervention can prevent irreversible ischemia and thereby decrease the mortality and longterm morbidity. The most common causes of intestinal obstruction are obstructed hernia, post-operative adhesions and tumors in rural population: Aims and objectives: To study the causes and clinical presentations of intestinal obstruction. To study the prognosis of surgery for intestinal obstruction including procedure, complications, morbidity and mortality. Materials this is a prospective observational study of 100 cases of intestinal obstruction who are admitted in surgical wards at PESIMSR Hospital, kuppam between August 2017 to November 2018. Inclusion Criteria: All patients between the age of 18-80 years admitted in department of general surgery with signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction. Exclusion Criteria: Patients who are not willing to be a part of this study. Patients with pseudo obstruction, paralytic ileus are excluded. Results: In our study, obstructed hernia (39%) was the most common cause of intestinal obstruction followed by adhesions and bands (36%). Conclusion: Obstructed hernias are the common cause of intestinal obstruction in our study due to lack of awareness among rural population followed by adhesions and bands with pain abdomen as the most common presenting symptom. Majority of patients with intestinal obstruction needs surgical relief of obstruction.