Authors' recommendations: After intra-abdominal operations, more than 90% of patients develop adhesions. Obstetric and gynecologic surgical procedures such as Cesarean delivery, abdominal hysterectomy, myomectomy, ovarian cystectomy, and surgeries for invasive gynecologic malignancies have a particularly high propensity for development of postoperative adhesions. Adhesion-related complications often require readmission and repeat surgery. In 2005, more than 350,000 surgical procedures were performed in the United States for lysis of adhesions, with an economic impact exceeding $2.3 billion. Adhesion-related complications following obstetric and gynecologic procedures include small bowel obstruction, infertility, recurrent pelvic pain, and difficult reoperative surgery. Basic preventive strategies involve minimizing surgical trauma by using appropriate techniques and instrumentation, opting for the least invasive technique, and avoiding the introduction of foreign materials into the abdominal cavity. A second approach involves the use of systemic and intraperitoneal pharmacological agents such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), anticoagulants, agents targeting the plasmin cascade, and hormones. A third approach involves a number of liquid- and solid-phase agents (membranes, sheets) that primarily act as barriers between two adjacent peritoneal surfaces.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2012

URL for published report: The report may be purchased from:http://www.hayesinc.com/hayes/crd/?crd=7801

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: United States

Organisation Name: HAYES, Inc.

Contact Address: 157 S. Broad Street, Suite 200, Lansdale, PA 19446, USA. Tel: 215 855 0615; Fax: 215 855 5218

Contact Name: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Contact Email: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Copyright: 2012 Winifred S. Hayes, Inc