Hi!
Since I have adhesions (or had, don't know if they're still there or not) and am having an MRI I will respond to this post. First, adhesions can cause backaches but so do a lot of other problems. Just because you have adhesions and a backache it does not necessarily mean that the adhesions are causing the backache. Not even if the backache goes away with lysis of the adhesions! You might say they were *possibly* related or even *probably* related but you can't be sure they were *definitely* related. Just because you haven't had abnormal pathology in the past other than the adhesions does not mean that you will never have abnormal pathology in the future. Adhesions can cause pain (it is a known fact that they don't cause pain in everyone) but having adhesions and pain together does not necessarily mean that the adhesions are causing the pain. Even if the pain goes away with the lysis of the adhesions! Be glad that it does, but don't ever think you have it all figured out. Doctors know that from their experience of treating many patients. In my case I do not have a back "ache" I have back "pain." I think there is a difference. I never had back pain before. It could be a coincidence, anyone can develop a new medical problem at any time and just because it is in the same area of the body does not mean it is caused by another problem in that area of the body. However, it could be a new presentation of the problem that has caused me to have abdominal pain I've had for 2 years. (this happens) It would be really easy to dismiss that abdominal pain as adhesion pain but I am glad my doctor doesn't want to do that. The alternative would be for him to say there is nothing else he can do. What do you expect him to do? Another laparoscopy? And have them tell me again that it could possibly make the problem worse? No thanks. Not when there is something else to try first. Now, if they had told me at the second laparoscopy that the adhesions lysed the first time had returned I might have a different attitude about this. That is why every patient has to be looked at individually. I should also add that I haven't had much testing done other than the ultrasounds and 2 laparoscopies. Even laps do not show everything. An MRI is not just a more expensive version of an xray. Different tests are better for showing some problems than others. Ultrasounds are particularly good for some problems, CT for others, and MRI for others. My gyn exam is normal and the adhesions lysed at the first lap had not reoccurred 6 months later at the second lap(so there is a chance that the adhesions lysed at the second lap have also not reoccurred)I don't think it is unreasonable to search for another cause for the abdominal pain.
Chris S.