Abdominal adhesions, endoscope view. These growths of internal scar tissue are seen as the thin film- like structures. Consisting of fibrous connective tissue, they have grown between abdominal organs that normally remain separate. They are a response of the body's repair mechanisms to tissue trauma, such as that resulting from infection, injury or internal surgery. Adhesions are most common within the abdomen and the heart. They are a very common complication of abdominal surgery, and though they rarely cause pain, they sometimes obstruct bowel movements, requiring surgery. Here, they developed after an appendicectomy, a surgical procedure to remove an inflamed appendix.