Closed-Loop Obstruction
A closed-loop obstruction is a particularly dangerous form of bowel obstruction where a segment of bowel is blocked at both ends, leaving it unable to decompress.
When to get help quickly: It is a surgical emergency because the trapped segment can lose its blood supply and die within hours. Severe sudden abdominal pain with vomiting needs immediate hospital review.
Common symptoms
Severe abdominal pain, vomiting, distended abdomen, and inability to pass stool or gas — pain often comes on faster and more severely than in a simple obstruction.
When imaging helps
Imaging shows the closed loop, where the obstruction is, and whether blood supply to the trapped bowel is failing.
What radiology does
CT of the abdomen is the test of choice; it identifies the closed loop, the transition point, and signs of ischaemia.
What usually happens next
Most cases need urgent surgery to release the trapped loop and assess the bowel's viability; delay risks bowel death and peritonitis.
Seen this on your report?
Your doctor or the radiologist who wrote it can tell you what it means for you.