Adhesive bowel obstruction: Incidence, recurrence and 30-day mortality in Danish women 1984–2013 – A national cohort study

•Incidence of adhesive bowel obstruction increased 50%, but only in women with no prior abdominal operations.•The rate of adhesive bowel obstruction was 3–5 times higher in women with prior abdominal surgery.•The 30-day mortality rate after the first episode of benign adhesive bowel obstruction was 13.2%.•Non-operative management of the obstruction had higher mortality rate compared to operative management.•In recurrent disease, the mortality rate declined with increasing number of events.