Intestinal obstruction repair is surgery to relieve a bowel obstruction. A complete obstruction, no matter what the cause, is a surgical emergency.

When a blockage occurs in the bowel (intestine), stool is unable to move through. Gas is trapped within the bowel, causing swelling and abdominal distention. The obstruction also interrupts normal blood flow, which can cause portions of the bowel to die. When parts of the bowel die, fluids and bacteria from the bowel can leak into the abdominal area, causing a life-threatening infection called peritonitis.

From http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002927.htm