title: A Prospective Experimental Study to Investigate the Peritoneal Adhesion Formation of Argon Plasma Coagulation (APC) Versus a Novel Aerosol Plasma in a Rat Model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This is a prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blinded study to investigate peritoneal adhesion formation of standard argon plasma coagulation (APC) versus aerosol plasma coagulation in a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bilateral lesions were created on the abdominal wall of 16 female Wistar rats with standard and aerosol plasma coagulation APC energy in a standard fashion. After 10 days, the rats were killed humanely to evaluate the peritoneal trauma sites. Adhesion incidence, quantity, and quality were scored 10 days postoperatively and studied histopathologically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average energy intake was 97.7 ± 3.1 J for APC and 93.8 ± 4.2 J for aerosol plasma coagulation. Incidence of adhesion formation was 74.2% for standard APC and 16.1% for aerosol plasma coagulation (P < .0001). Standard APC mainly results in dense adhesions. Histological evaluation revealed no significant difference with regard to the average depth of lesions created by APC and aerosol plasma coagulation (P = 0.21) at day 10; both groups showed an identical morphology of necrosis and granulation tissue formation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study compares adhesion formation of standard APC versus aerosol plasma coagulation in a rat model. Standard APC produced significantly more adhesions. Aerosol plasma coagulation creates fewer adhesions, which are of lower grade, which seems to be achieved mainly by improved peritoneal conditioning in this animal model.
authors.affiliation: University of Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.affiliation: University of Tuebingen, Germany ralf.rothmund@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rothmund
authors.affiliation: Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: University of Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scharpf
authors.affiliation: University of Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smaxwil
authors.affiliation: Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus Dominik
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Enderle
authors.affiliation: University of Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wallwiener
authors.affiliation: Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neugebauer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057908:Argon Plasma Coagulation / Q000379:methods*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000379:methods; D010532:Peritoneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: adhesions; aerosol plasma coagulation; argon plasma coagulation (APC); rat model; thermal damage