Chronic intermittent intestinal obstruction from a seat belt injury

Most patients with intestinal obstruction have had previous surgery. Rarely , the development of adhesions and resulting small bowel obstruction is att ributed to previous intra-abdominal trauma. We present the case of a young man, without a history of surgery, who had been a restrained driver in a mo tor vehicle crash. Seven years later, the patient had an intermittent parti al small bowel obstruction that recurred over the next 5 years, We review t he pathophysiology and epidemiology of similar occurrences, as well as diag nostic options.