title: Evaluation of agar films in the prevention of postoperative peritoneal adhesions in an animal model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peritoneal adhesions cause significant long-term postoperative morbidity. This study evaluates the efficacy of agar plates as the physical barrier in reducing adhesion formation after abdominal surgery in an animal model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adhesions were induced, by cecum abrasion, in 20 C57/BL6 mice during a laparotomy procedure. Agar plates were used in 10 mice as the experimental group. At a second operation, 28 days later, the adhesions were graded, in two groups. Data were analyzed by using Student t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in weight gain of the two groups during the study period. A comparison of the morphological appearances of the adhesions demonstrated that there was no evident difference between the two groups. There was also no significant difference in the incidence ratio of adhesions or postoperative adhesion scores between the two groups (p value >0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the hydrogel properties of agar, it was not successful in practice in the reduction of adhesion formation after peritoneal surgery. Since agar is a biological product, it may cause a hyperreactivity induced by the innate immune system in peritoneum. Therefore, agar does not appear to be useful in clinical practice for the reduction of adhesion formation after peritoneal surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mamoudieh
authors.forename: Nooshin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mirkheshti
authors.forename: Sayyed Ali
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Alavi
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000473:pathology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012086:Reoperation / Q000009:adverse effects; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000362:Agar