Complete ileal obstruction secondary to a 22-year old non-absorbable suture for an open appendectomy: Clinical case report.

Introduction: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common surgical emergency. Our report describes a case of a 61-year-old male who was found to have a PROLENE suture left in situ from a previous open appendectomy 22 years ago, over which a fibrous adhesive band had formed, resulting in a terminal ileal volvulus and subsequent SBO.

Case: A 61-year-old male presented with a 3-day history of severe lower abdominal cramps, nausea and constipation.