Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2004, 204(3)

The Efficacy of a Hyaluronate/Carboxymethylcellulose Membrane in Prevention of Postoperative Adhesion in a Rat Uterine Horn Model

SEFA KELEKCI, BULENT YILMAZ, SERDAR OGUZ, SEMA ZERGEROGLU¹, ISMET INAN² and SELMA TOKUCOGLU²

Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey,
¹Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Educating and Research Hospital,
Pathology Laboratory, Ankara, Turkey, and
²Ankara Education and Research Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Animal Research Center, Ankara, Turkey

The current study was designed to investigate the efficacy of a hyaluronate/carboxymethylcellulose membrane for the prevention of post-operative adhesion in a rat uterine horn model. This is a prospective double-blinded controlled study. Nineteen injured uterine horns were treated with a hyaluronate/carboxymethylcellulose membrane as a barrier and 19 injured uterine horns without any treatment served as a control group. Two weeks later, second look laparotomies were performed in order to assess the degree of the adhesion. Total adhesion scores, histopathological analysis of inflammation process and vascularization of adhesions were compared with control group. P values of 5% or less were considered statistically significant. Animals treated with a hyaluronate/carboxymethylcellulose membrane had significantly reduced post-surgical adhesion scores when compared with control group. In histopathological examination, there was less vascularization in the treatment group. The types and extent of inflammation were similar in two groups. Clinically and histopathologically, a hyaluronate/carboxymethylcellulose membrane is effective in reducing postoperative adhesion formation in the rat uterine horn model.

keywords —— adhesion; barrier methods; hyaluronate/carboxymethylcellulose membrane; pelvic surgery

© 2004 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Address for Reprints: Sefa Kelekci, M.D., Sakarya Mahallesi, Bassehir Sokak 16/11, Cebeci, 06340 Ankara, Turkey.

e-mail: sefamed@hotmail.come