Lysis of Adhesions (Destruction of Scar Tissue)

Lysis of adhesions is a procedure that destroys scar tissue that's causing abdominal and chronic pelvic pain.

The scar tissue typically forms after surgery as part of the healing process, but can also develop after an infection or a condition that causes inflammation, such as endometriosis. The adhesions that form can sometimes cause pain.

Traditionally, options for relieving the pain caused by scar tissue were limited to such treatments as injections, nerve blocks, and medication. However, with new robotic-assisted technology, scar tissue can actually be destroyed through minimally invasive lysis of adhesions, now offered at Kelsey-Seybold via the da Vinci® Surgical System.

Lysis of abdominal and bowel adhesions can reduce pain, fix intestinal blockage, and treat infertility that is likely being caused by scar tissue.

Minimally Invasive Procedure

During a minimally invasive lysis of adhesions procedure, a needle is injected into the abdomen to allow for gas to fill the abdomen and make it expand, making it easier for the surgeon to see the scar tissue and surrounding organs.

A tiny camera called a laparoscope is inserted through a small incision in the abdomen and images are projected onto a screen. More small incisions are made in the wall of the abdomen for insertion of instruments that are attached to robotic arms, which are controlled by the surgeon. The surgeon then removes and destroys any adhesions in the area.

Most patients are able to go home the same day or the next.

The da Vinci® Surgical System, which has been used in more than a million minimally invasive procedures throughout the world, has been approved by the FDA as a safe and effective form of surgery.

If you are experiencing pain in the abdomen or pelvis that may be a result of scar tissue due to surgery or another cause, the experts at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston can determine if lysis of adhesions through minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery is the answer.