8 Frequently Asked Questions about Ileus

7. What will happen if it goes untreated?

Ileus can lead to a life-threatening medical condition if left untreated. These are some of the conditions that may arise: Necrosis is cell injury which results in the permanent death of cells in living tissue. This can happen if the obstruction cuts off blood supply to the intestine. It can lead to bowel perforation. Bowel perforation is when a hole or a tear occurs in the intestine. When this happens, fecal matter— which contains high levels of bacteria—can leak into the abdominal cavity. Peritonitis is inflammation and infection in the abdominal cavity caused by bacteria or fungus. This is a result of bowel perforation, as mentioned above. Peritonitis can turn into a life-threatening condition called sepsis, which can put a person into shock or multiple organ failure.