Diagnosis of Abdominal Adhesions and Intestinal Obstruction Surprisingly, no test can diagnose abdominal adhesion and intestinal obstruction with certainty. • Doctors take detailed medical history to document any surgery. • They recommend blood tests, not to diagnose abdominal adhesions but, to rule out any other diagnosis. • Imaging tests including CT-scan and X-Ray do not diagnose abdominal adhesions but they can demonstrate intestinal obstruction by adhesions. • Doctors may conduct laparoscopy or open surgery to look inside the abdomen for adhesions.