Peritoneal healing with adhesion formation: current comment.

Intra-abdominal adhesions are fibrotic structures, which lie in the form of a string or attachment between the abdominal organs and connect these together. They are responsible for serious clinical complications that include intestinal obstruction, infertility, and pelvic pain. During the last century, surgeons' comprehensive understanding of the biology of peritoneal healing and wound repair has allowed them to identify a variety of new therapeutic techniques that limit the development of adhesion formation. New drugs, dextran 70 and poloxamer 407, have been developed to prevent adhesion formation. In addition, three new biomaterials (oxidized regenerated cellulose, hyaluronate membrane, and polytetrafluoroethylene) are synthetic barriers being used to prevent adhesions.