Reduction of postoperative adhesions by perfluorocarbons: an experimental study in a rat model.

Peritoneal adhesions are a well-known and frequently occurring postoperative complication. Many published studies have looked into the prophylaxis of adhesions following abdominal surgery, but only few clinically relevant agents have been reported. Most publications refer to adult patients and not to paediatric patient collectives. This experimental study in a rat model compares the effect of perfluorocarbons as adhesion prophylaxis with those of a well-known anti-adhesive agent Adept and with an untreated control group. We hypothesized that PFC might have a double effect: initially it could suppress the accumulation of monocytes and neutrophilic granulocytes, and subsequently it would work as a barrier to prevent contact between the visceral and parietal layers of the peritoneum. After a standardised operation, PFC was injected into the abdominal cavity of rats in the study group. Macroscopically, the PFC group did not fare significantly better, but nevertheless a clear tendency towards fewer adhesions after the application of PFC could be ascertained.