title: Randomized experimental study to investigate the peritoneal adhesion formation of conventional monopolar contact coagulation versus noncontact argon plasma coagulation in a rat model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate peritoneal adhesion formation of monopolar contact coagulation (MCC) versus noncontact argon plasma coagulation (APC) in a rat model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, controlled, single-blinded animal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixteen female Wistar rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bilateral lesions were created on the abdominal wall with MCC and APC in a standard fashion. After 10 days, the rats were euthanized to evaluate the peritoneal trauma sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adhesion incidence, quantity, and quality were scored 10 days postoperatively and studied histopathologically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average energy intake was 99.5 ± 7.39 J for APC and 95.7 ± 9.62 J for monopolar contact coagulation. Incidence of adhesion formation was 50.0% for noncontact APC and 85.4% for MCC. MCC induced significantly more vascular adhesions. Histological evaluation revealed no significant differences regarding average depth of lesions induced by APC and MCC. Both groups showed almost identical morphology of necrosis and granulation tissue formation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study compares for the first time adhesion formation of MCC versus noncontact APC in a rat model. With a similar energy intake, contact coagulation induced a significantly higher rate of adhesion formation. APC-induced adhesions were significantly less vascularized compared with MCC adhesions. Besides the thermal effects of both coagulation methods, the direct mechanical contact of the MCC electrode with the highly sensitive peritoneum is thus determined to be a pivotal additional stimulus for adhesion formation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. Electronic address: Bernhard.Kraemer@med.uni-tuebingen.de.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kraemer
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scharpf
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Constanze
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Planck
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tsaousidis
authors.affiliation: Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus Dominik
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Enderle
authors.affiliation: Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neugebauer
authors.affiliation: Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kroeker
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Falko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fend
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brucker
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rothmund
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057908:Argon Plasma Coagulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D009336:Necrosis; D010532:Peritoneal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000601:surgery*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D000267:Tissue Adhesions
keywords: Adhesions; argon plasma coagulation (APC); monopolar contact coagulation; peritoneal conditioning; rat model