Evaluation of SprayShield™ Adhesion Barrier in a single center: randomized controlled study in 15 women undergoing reconstructive surgery after laparoscopic myomectomy

Clinical Outcomes after the Use of Antiadhesive Agents in Laparoscopic Reproductive Surgery

INTRODUCTION

Intra-abdominal adhesions are abnormal fibrous attachments between tissues and organs that can be congenital or acquired. Adhesion formation is a critical postoperative complication that may lead to bowel obstruction, chronic abdominal pain, and infertility. Physical barrier agents separate opposing peritoneal surfaces in the critical 5-day period of remesotheliazation. These agents are subdivided into solid or liquid/gel. Liquid agents seem easier to use in laparoscopic procedures than solid agents.

METHODS

The search for suitable articles published in English was carried out using the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Global Health, the Cochrane Library (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Methodology Register), Health Technology Assessment Database, Web of Science, and search register (ClinicalTrial.gov). Only studies reporting data about the impact of the use of an antiadhesive agent on adhesion formation after a primary gynecologic laparoscopic surgery were considered eligible.

RESULTS

Twenty-two papers that met the inclusion criteria were included in this systematic review.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgeons should consider applying antiadhesive agents after gynecologic surgery to help reduce adhesion formation and its adverse effects. However, further studies are still needed to confirm their impact on reproductive outcome and to implement clear guidelines on their per-operative application.

Postsurgical Adhesions: Is There Any Prophylactic Strategy Really Working?

Postoperative adhesions are a frequent complication encountered after surgical procedures, mainly after intraperitoneal interventions. To this day, the pathophysiological mechanism behind the process of adhesions formation is not completely known. There are many strategies proposed as prophylaxis methods, involving surgical techniques, drugs or materials that prevent adhesions and even state of the art technologies such as nanoparticles or gene therapy. The aim of our review is to present these innovative approaches and techniques for postoperative adhesions prevention. After a thorough scientific database query, we selected 84 articles published in the past 15 years that were relevant to our topic. Despite all the recent groundbreaking discoveries, we are at an early stage of understanding the complexity of the adhesion formation mechanism. Further investigations should be made in order to create an ideal product for safe clinical use for prevention.

The Therapeutic Potential of Targeting Key Signaling Pathways as a Novel Approach to Ameliorating Post-Surgical Adhesions

BACKGROUND

Peritoneal adhesions (PA) are a common complication of abdominal operations. A growing body of evidence shows that inhibition of inflammation and fibrosis at sites of peritoneal damaging could prevent the development of intra-abdominal adhesions.

METHODS

A search of PubMed, Medline, CINAHL and Embase databases was performed using the keywords 'postsurgical adhesion', 'post-operative adhesion', 'peritoneal adhesion', 'surgery-induced adhesion' and 'abdominal adhesion'. Studies detailing the use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological agents for peritoneal adhesion prevention were identified, and their bibliographies were thoroughly reviewed to identify further related articles.

RESULTS

Several signaling pathways, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, tissue plasminogen activator, and type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor, macrophages, fibroblasts, and mesothelial cells play a key part in the development of plasminogen activator. Several therapeutic approaches based on anti-PA drug barriers and traditional herbal medicines have been developed to prevent and treat adhesion formation. In recent years, the most promising method to prevent PA is treatment using biomaterial-based barriers.

CONCLUSION

In this review, we provide an overview of the pathophysiology of adhesion formation and various agents targeting different pathways, including chemical agents, herbal agents, physical barriers, and clinical trials concerning this matter.

Barrier materials for prevention of surgical adhesions: systematic review

BACKGROUND

Postoperative surgical adhesions constitute a major health burden internationally. A wide range of materials have been evaluated, but despite constructive efforts and the obvious necessity, there remains no specific barrier widely utilized to prevent postoperative adhesion formation. The aim of this study was to highlight and characterize materials used for prevention of postoperative surgical adhesions in both animal and human studies.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed of all original research articles presenting data related to the prevention of postoperative adhesions using a barrier agent. All available observational studies and randomized trials using animal models or human participants were included, with no restrictions related to type of surgery. PubMed and Embase databases were searched using key terms from inception to August 2019. Standardized data collection forms were used to extract details for each study and assess desirable characteristics of each barrier and success in animal and/or human studies.

RESULTS

A total of 185 articles were identified for inclusion in the review, with a total of 67 unique adhesion barrier agents (37 natural and 30 synthetic materials). Desirable barrier characteristics of an ideal barrier were identified on review of the literature. Ten barriers achieved the primary outcome of reducing the incidence of postoperative adhesions in animal studies followed with positive outputs in human participants. A further 48 materials had successful results from animal studies, but with no human study performed to date.

DISCUSSION

Multiple barriers showed promise in animal studies, with several progressing to success, and fulfilment of desirable qualities, in human trials. No barrier is currently utilized commonly worldwide, but potential barriers have been identified to reduce the burden of postoperative adhesions and associated sequelae.

Prevention of Post-Operative Adhesions: A Comprehensive Review of Present and Emerging Strategies

Post-operative adhesions affect patients undergoing all types of surgeries. They are associated with serious complications, including higher risk of morbidity and mortality. Given increased hospitalization, longer operative times, and longer length of hospital stay, post-surgical adhesions also pose a great financial burden. Although our knowledge of some of the underlying mechanisms driving adhesion formation has significantly improved over the past two decades, literature has yet to fully explain the pathogenesis and etiology of post-surgical adhesions. As a result, finding an ideal preventative strategy and leveraging appropriate tissue engineering strategies has proven to be difficult. Different products have been developed and enjoyed various levels of success along the translational tissue engineering research spectrum, but their clinical translation has been limited. Herein, we comprehensively review the agents and products that have been developed to mitigate post-operative adhesion formation. We also assess emerging strategies that aid in facilitating precision and personalized medicine to improve outcomes for patients and our healthcare system.

Peritoneal Adhesions and their Prevention - Current Trends

The development of adhesions after gynecologic surgery is a severe problem with ramifications that go beyond the medical complications patients suffer (which most often include pain, obstruction and infertility), since they also impose a huge financial burden on the health care system and increase the workload of surgeons and all personnel involved in surgical follow-up care. Surgical techniques to avoid adhesion formation have not proven to be sufficient and pharmaceutical approaches for their prevention are even less effective, which means that the use of adhesion prevention devices is essential for achieving decent prophylaxis. This review explores the wide range of adhesion prevention products currently available on the market. Particular emphasis is put on prospective randomized controlled clinical trials that include second-look interventions, as these offer the most solid evidence of efficacy. We focused on adhesion scores, which are the most common way to quantify adhesion formation. This enables a direct comparison of the efficacies of different devices. While the greatest amount of data are available for oxidized regenerated cellulose, the outcomes with this adhesion barrier are mediocre and several studies have shown little efficacy. The best results have been achieved using adhesion barriers based on either modified starch, i.e., 4DryField® PH (PlantTec Medical GmbH, Lüneburg, Germany), or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, i.e., GoreTex (W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Medical Products Division, Flagstaff, AZ), albeit the latter, as a non-resorbable barrier, has a huge disadvantage of having to be surgically removed again. Therefore, 4DryField® PH currently appears to be a promising approach and further studies are recommended.

Advancement of Biomaterial-Based Postoperative Adhesion Barriers

Postoperative peritoneal adhesion (PPA) is a prevalent incidence that generally happens during the healing process of traumatized tissues. It causes multiple severe complications such as intestinal obstruction, chronic abdominal pain, and female infertility. To prevent PPA, several antiadhesion materials and drug delivery systems composed of biomaterials are used clinically, and clinical antiadhesive is one of the important applications nowadays. In addition to several commercially available materials, like film, spray, injectable hydrogel, powder, or solution type have been energetically studied based on natural and synthetic biomaterials such as alginate, hyaluronan, cellulose, starch, chondroitin sulfate, polyethylene glycol, polylactic acid, etc. Moreover, many kinds of animal adhesion models, such as cecum abrasion models and unitary horn models, are developed to evaluate new materials' efficacy. A new animal adhesion model based on hepatectomy and conventional animal adhesion models is recently developed and a new adhesion barrier by this new model is also developed. In summary, many kinds of materials and animal models are studied; thus, it is quite important to overview this field's current progress. Here, PPA is reviewed in terms of the species of biomaterials and animal models and several problems to be solved to develop better antiadhesion materials in the future are discussed.

Adhesion barriers in laparoscopic myomectomy: Evidence from randomized clinical trials

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of different adhesion barriers in the prevention of de novo adhesion development after laparoscopic myomectomy.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed by searching seven electronic databases for all randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing the use of any absorbable adhesion barrier (i.e. intervention group) with either no treatment or placebo (i.e. control group) in the prevention of adhesion development after laparoscopic myomectomy.

RESULTS

Eight RCTs with a total of 748 participants (392 in the intervention group and 356 in the control group) were included. The assessed adhesion barrier methods were: oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) in two studies, auto-crosslinked hyaluronic acid (HA) gel in two studies, 4% icodextrin solution in one study, modified HA and carboxy-methylcellulose in one study, polyethylene glycol ester trilysine amine solution plus a borate buffer solution in one study, and polyethylene glycol amine plus dextran aldehyde polymers in another study.

CONCLUSION

Adhesion barrier methods showing the most promising results were: ORC, auto-crosslinked HA gel, and polyethylene glycol amine plus dextran aldehyde polymers.

Adhesions after Laparoscopic Myomectomy: Incidence, Risk Factors, Complications, and Prevention

Uterine fibroids or uterine myomas are one of the most common benign diseases of the uterus. Symptoms associated with myomas can make surgical removal of myomas necessary. Besides the traditional abdominal route, laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) has gained more acceptances over the last few decades, and it is anticipated that laparoscopy is associated with lower adhesion development. Therefore, we conducted this review to analyze the evidence on adhesions after LM. The PubMed database was searched using the search terms “myomectomy” alone and in combination with “adhesions,” “infertility OR fertility outcome,” and “laparoscopy” among articles published in English and German. Although the well-known advantages of laparoscopy, for example, less pain, less blood loss, or shorter hospital stay, myomectomy belongs to high-risk operations concerning adhesion formation, with at least every fifth patient developing postsurgical adhesions. In laparoscopic surgery, surgeons´ experience as well tissue trauma, due to desiccation and hypoxia, are the underlying mechanisms leading to adhesion formation. Incisions of the posterior uterus may be associated with a higher rate of adhesions compared to anterior or fundal incisions. Adhesions can be associated with severe complications such as small bowel obstruction, chronic pelvic pain, complications in further operations, or impaired fertility. Tissue trauma and the experience of the surgeon in laparoscopic surgery are most of the influencing factors for adhesion formation after myomectomy. Therefore, every surgeon should adopt strategies to reduce adhesion development in daily routine, especially when it conducted to preserve or restore fertility.

Fluid and pharmacological agents for adhesion prevention after gynaecological surgery

BACKGROUND

Adhesions are fibrin bands that are a common consequence of gynaecological surgery. They are caused by conditions that include pelvic inflammatory disease and endometriosis. Adhesions are associated with comorbidities, including pelvic pain, subfertility, and small bowel obstruction. Adhesions also increase the likelihood of further surgery, causing distress and unnecessary expenses. Strategies to prevent adhesion formation include the use of fluid (also called hydroflotation) and gel agents, which aim to prevent healing tissues from touching one another, or drugs, aimed to change an aspect of the healing process, to make adhesions less likely to form.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of fluid and pharmacological agents on rates of pain, live births, and adhesion prevention in women undergoing gynaecological surgery.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched: the Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Epistemonikos to 22 August 2019. We also checked the reference lists of relevant papers and contacted experts in the field.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials investigating the use of fluid (including gel) and pharmacological agents to prevent adhesions after gynaecological surgery.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures recommended by Cochrane. We assessed the overall quality of the evidence using GRADE methods. Outcomes of interest were pelvic pain; live birth rates; incidence of, mean, and changes in adhesion scores at second look-laparoscopy (SLL); clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy rates; quality of life at SLL; and adverse events.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 32 trials (3492 women), and excluded 11. We were unable to include data from nine studies in the statistical analyses, but the findings of these studies were broadly in keeping with the findings of the meta-analyses. Hydroflotation agents versus no hydroflotation agents (10 RCTs) We are uncertain whether hydroflotation agents affected pelvic pain (odds ratio (OR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.52 to 2.09; one study, 226 women; very low-quality evidence). It is unclear whether hydroflotation agents affected live birth rates (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.58; two studies, 208 women; low-quality evidence) compared with no treatment. Hydroflotation agents reduced the incidence of adhesions at SLL when compared with no treatment (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.55, four studies, 566 women; high-quality evidence). The evidence suggests that in women with an 84% chance of having adhesions at SLL with no treatment, using hydroflotation agents would result in 54% to 75% having adhesions. Hydroflotation agents probably made little or no difference to mean adhesion score at SLL (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.06, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.09; four studies, 722 women; moderate-quality evidence). It is unclear whether hydroflotation agents affected clinical pregnancy rate (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.14; three studies, 310 women; moderate-quality evidence) compared with no treatment. This suggests that in women with a 26% chance of clinical pregnancy with no treatment, using hydroflotation agents would result in a clinical pregnancy rate of 11% to 28%. No studies reported any adverse events attributable to the intervention. Gel agents versus no treatment (12 RCTs) No studies in this comparison reported pelvic pain or live birth rate. Gel agents reduced the incidence of adhesions at SLL compared with no treatment (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.57; five studies, 147 women; high-quality evidence). This suggests that in women with an 84% chance of having adhesions at SLL with no treatment, the use of gel agents would result in 39% to 75% having adhesions. It is unclear whether gel agents affected mean adhesion scores at SLL (SMD -0.50, 95% CI -1.09 to 0.09; four studies, 159 women; moderate-quality evidence), or clinical pregnancy rate (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.02 to 2.02; one study, 30 women; low-quality evidence). No studies in this comparison reported on adverse events attributable to the intervention. Gel agents versus hydroflotation agents when used as an instillant (3 RCTs) No studies in this comparison reported pelvic pain, live birth rate or clinical pregnancy rate. Gel agents probably reduce the incidence of adhesions at SLL when compared with hydroflotation agents (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.83; three studies, 538 women; moderate-quality evidence). This suggests that in women with a 46% chance of having adhesions at SLL with a hydroflotation agent, the use of gel agents would result in 21% to 41% having adhesions. We are uncertain whether gel agents improved mean adhesion scores at SLL when compared with hydroflotation agents (MD -0.79, 95% CI -0.82 to -0.76; one study, 77 women; very low-quality evidence). No studies in this comparison reported on adverse events attributable to the intervention. Steroids (any route) versus no steroids (4 RCTs) No studies in this comparison reported pelvic pain, incidence of adhesions at SLL or mean adhesion score at SLL. It is unclear whether steroids affected live birth rates compared with no steroids (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.62; two studies, 223 women; low-quality evidence), or clinical pregnancy rates (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.55; three studies, 410 women; low-quality evidence). No studies in this comparison reported on adverse events attributable to the intervention.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Gels and hydroflotation agents appear to be effective adhesion prevention agents for use during gynaecological surgery, but we found no evidence indicating that they improve fertility outcomes or pelvic pain, and further research is required in this area. It is also worth noting that for some comparisons, wide confidence intervals crossing the line of no effect meant that clinical harm as a result of interventions could not be excluded. Future studies should measure outcomes in a uniform manner, using the modified American Fertility Society score. Statistical findings should be reported in full. No studies reported any adverse events attributable to intervention.

Biomaterials to Prevent Post-Operative Adhesion

Surgery is performed to treat various diseases. During the process, the surgical site is healed through self-healing after surgery. Post-operative or tissue adhesion caused by unnecessary contact with the surgical site occurs during the normal healing process. In addition, it has been frequently found in patients who have undergone surgery, and severe adhesion can cause chronic pain and various complications. Therefore, anti-adhesion barriers have been developed using multiple biomaterials to prevent post-operative adhesion. Typically, anti-adhesion barriers are manufactured and sold in numerous forms, such as gels, solutions, and films, but there are no products that can completely prevent post-operative adhesion. These products are generally applied over the surgical site to physically block adhesion to other sites (organs). Many studies have recently been conducted to increase the anti-adhesion effects through various strategies. This article reviews recent research trends in anti-adhesion barriers.

Battling adhesions: from understanding to prevention

Adhesions represent a major burden in clinical practice, particularly following abdominal, intrauterine, pericardial and tendon surgical procedures. Adhesions are initiated by a disruption in the epithelial or mesothelial layer of tissue, which leads to fibrin adhesion sites due to the downregulation of fibrinolytic activity and an increase in fibrin deposition. Hence, the metabolic events involved in tissue healing, coagulation, inflammation, fibrinolysis and angiogenesis play a pivotal role in adhesion formation. Understanding these events, their interactions and their influence on the development of post-surgical adhesion is crucial for the development of effective therapies to prevent them. Mechanical barriers, antiadhesive agents and combination thereof are customarily used in the battle against adhesions. Although these systems seem to be effective at reducing adhesions in clinical procedures, their prevention remains still elusive, imposing the need for new antiadhesive strategies.

Surgery-free injectable macroscale biomaterials for local cancer immunotherapy

Up-to-date review and perspective on injectable macroscale biomaterials for local cancer immunotherapy.

Active agents, biomaterials, and technologies to improve biolubrication and strengthen soft tissues

Normal functioning of articulating tissues is required for many physiological processes occurring across length scales from the molecular to whole organism. Lubricating biopolymers are present natively on tissue surfaces at various sites of biological articulation, including eyelid, mouth, and synovial joints. The range of operating conditions at these disparate interfaces yields a variety of tribological mechanisms through which compressive and shear forces are dissipated to protect tissues from material wear and fatigue. This review focuses on recent advances in active agents and biomaterials for therapeutic augmentation of friction, lubrication, and wear in disease and injured states. Various small-molecule, biological, and gene delivery therapies are described, as are tribosupplementation with naturally-occurring and synthetic biolubricants and polymer reinforcements. While reintroduction of a diseased tissue's native lubricant received significant attention in the past, recent discoveries and pre-clinical research are capitalizing on concurrent advances in the molecular sciences and bioengineering fields, with an understanding of the underlying tissue structure and physiology, to afford a desired, and potentially patient-specific, tissue mechanical response for restoration of normal function. Small and large molecule drugs targeting recently elucidated pathways as well as synthetic and hybrid natural/synthetic biomaterials for restoring a desired tissue mechanical response are being investigated for treatment of, for example, keratoconjunctivitis sicca, xeroderma, and osteoarthritis.

Hyaluronic acid-carboxymethylcellulose reduced postoperative bowel adhesions following laparoscopic urologic pelvic surgery: a prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blind study

BACKGROUND

To assess the anti-adhesive effect of treatment with hyaluronic acid-carboxymethylcellulose following laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

METHODS

This was a randomized, controlled, single-blind, parallel-group study using hyaluronic acid-carboxymethylcellulose in patients who underwent laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. Sixty patients were enrolled in the study. All patients were randomly assigned to either the hyaluronic acid-carboxymethylcellulose treatment group (n = 30) or the control group (n = 30). Viscera slide ultrasounds and plain X-rays were obtained at enrollment (V0), postoperative week 12 (V1), and 24 (V2). The primary end point was the difference in the excursion distance in the viscera slide ultrasound between V0 and V2.

RESULTS

A total of 50 patients completed this study. The average excursion distance at V2 in the experimental group (n = 25) was significantly longer than in the control group (n = 25, 2.7 ± 1.2 vs. 1.3 ± 1.0 cm, respectively; p < 0.001). The differences in the V0 and V2 excursion distances were significantly higher in the control group than in the experimental group (1.48 ± 1.5 vs. 2.9 ± 1.2 cm, respectively; p < 0.001). None of patients showed adverse events associated with the use of hyaluronic acid-carboxymethylcellulose.

CONCLUSION

This randomized study demonstrated that hyaluronic acid-carboxymethylcellulose treatment resulted in a reduction in bowel adhesion to the abdominal wall after laparoscopic pelvic surgery and had good clinical safety.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02773251 Date: May 12, 2016.

Use of Modified Polysaccharide 4DryField (®) PH for Adhesion Prevention and Hemostasis in Gynecological Surgery: A Two-Center Observational Study by Second-Look Laparoscopy

Purpose. This study evaluates both scopes of 4DryField PH, certified for adhesion prevention and hemostasis, in patients undergoing surgery for various and severe gynecological disorders. Methods. This is a two-institutional study. Adhesion prevention efficacy was evaluated using video documentation of first-look laparoscopies (FLL) and second-look laparoscopies (SLL); other patient data were analyzed retrospectively. Twenty patients with various disorders were evaluated, 4 assigned to a uterus pathology, 10 to endometriosis, and 6 to an adhesion disease group. Nine patients received 4DryField primarily for hemostasis and 11 solely for adhesion prevention. Nineteen patients had SLL after 5 to 12 weeks and one after 13 months. Results. At FLL with 4DryField, immediate hemostasis could be achieved in diffuse bleeding. At SLL, effective adhesion prevention was observed in 18 of all 20 women, with only 2 revealing major adhesions. In particular, only 1 of the 6 women with adhesion disease as predominant disorder showed major adhesions at SLL. Conclusions. Modified polysaccharide 4DryField is not only effective in diffuse bleeding. In this cohort with extensive surgery for various gynecological pathologies, 4DryField showed effective adhesion prevention as confirmed at SLL, too. Its use as premixed gel is a convenient variant for treatment of large peritoneal wounds.