Postoperative Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction Presenting as Acute Urinary Retention

Postoperative adhesions are commonly seen after most abdominal surgeries. The majority of patients with intra-abdominal adhesions remain asymptomatic; however, some patients may develop symptoms ranging from mild abdominal pain to sometimes life-threatening complications. The most severe complication seen in association with postoperative adhesions is small bowel obstruction (SBO). This complication is rarely seen in the pediatric age-group. Adhesions have the potential to cause bowel obstruction. In addition, they can also affect the normal intestinal motility and transit leading to constipation. Several studies reported in literature show a strong association between constipation and the urinary disorders, such as incontinence and urinary urgency. We herein report a case of a boy who developed adhesive SBO with segmental ileal dilatation leading to constipation, urinary symptoms, and finally presenting to our hospital as acute urinary retention. Keywords: Adhesion, Constipation, Ileal dilatation, Small bowel obstruction, Urinary incontinence, Urinary retention.