Adhesions, slow transit, SIBO & the hidden mechanics your scans don’t show
Many people quietly say this to me in clinic:
“My digestion has never been the same since surgery.”
Constipation.
Bloating.
Food intolerances.
Recurring SIBO.
Nausea after meals.
Unpredictable bowel habits.
Yet tests come back “normal.”
So they’re told it’s IBS.
But in clinical practice, I often see something different.
Sometimes nothing is “wrong.”
Sometimes something simply isn’t moving well anymore.
And digestion is movement.
What’s often missed
After abdominal or bowel surgery, the body forms internal scar tissue called adhesions.
This is normal healing.
However, research shows adhesions form in up to 90% of abdominal surgeries:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12477620/
Adhesions aren’t dangerous.
But they can change how the bowel functions.
The intestine is designed to glide smoothly.
Scar tissue doesn’t glide.
It can gently tether sections of bowel and slightly slow transit.
Even small changes in movement can create:
- constipation
- bloating that worsens through the day
- trapped gas
- incomplete emptying
- recurrent bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
- poor nutrient absorption
- ongoing “sensitive gut” symptoms
Often the issue is mechanical and functional, not psychological.
When transit slows, bacteria stay longer
Digestion relies on rhythm.
When food moves efficiently, bacteria remain balanced.
When transit slows, bacteria linger.
When bacteria linger, fermentation increases.
This may contribute to:
- bloating
- reflux
- sulphur gas
- brain fog
- fatigue
- food reactions
This pattern is frequently associated with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO):
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29094152/
So we’re often working with two things:
- altered motility
- microbial imbalance
Both need support.
Why this work is personal for me
Before becoming a naturopath, I lived with an ileostomy for two years.
I experienced adhesions, diarrhoea, malabsorption and bacterial overgrowth myself.
Despite “normal” tests, digestion was anything but normal.
That experience shaped how I practise today.
So when someone tells me their gut hasn’t been right since surgery, I don’t dismiss it.
I understand it deeply.
My clinical approach
Rather than forcing the bowel with harsh laxatives or aggressive cleanses, we work gently and physiologically.
We focus on:
- improving digestion upstream
- supporting bile flow
- restoring motility
- reducing bacterial stagnation
- repairing the gut lining
- calming the nervous system
Digestion isn’t force.
It’s rhythm.
When we restore the rhythm, symptoms often improve naturally.
If this sounds familiar
If your digestion has never felt the same since surgery, there is usually a reason — and it’s often very workable.
Book an Initial Consultation
Charmaine D Naturopath
charmainednaturopath.com.au