The intestinal flora influences adhesion formation around surgical anastomoses.
BACKGROUND
Postsurgical adhesion formation is still a cause of postoperative morbidity because no satisfactory treatment or prophylaxis has yet been developed. The present study was designed to investigate the influence of the gastrointestinal flora on adhesion formation around surgical anastomoses.


METHODS
Anastomoses were constructed in germfree, conventional, ex-germfree and mono- contaminated rats (Escherichia coli X7 and Lactobacillus acidophilus La5), and adhesion formation was recorded.


RESULTS
The germfree group had a significantly lower adhesion score than all other groups (P < 0.05) apart from the lactobacillus group, which had a significantly lower score than the conventional group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The bacterial flora of the gastrointestinal tract enhances adhesion formation around surgical anastomoses.
Bothin
C
C
Department of Medical Microbial Ecology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. claesbothin@nopo.sll.se
Okada
M
M
Midtvedt
T
T
Perbeck
L
L
D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D007779:Lactobacillus acidophilus / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000382:microbiology*