Journal of Tissue Science and Engineering

Histological and Immunohistological Evaluation of the Tissue Response of a New Barrier Material Based on D,L-Polylactide, Trimethylene Carbonate and Caprolactone to Prevent Peritoneal Adhesion Formation

Abstract

Constanze NE Planck, Volker H Schmitt, Bernhard Krämer, Andreas Mamilos, Taufiek K Rajab, David Hollemann, Christian Wallwiener, Helmut Hierlemann, Heinrich Planck, C James Kirkpatrick and Christoph Brochhausen

Serosal membranes cover body cavities and guarantee frictionless gliding of inner organs. Serosal damage carries the risk of adhesion formation, which represents a relevant postoperative complication. Due to pathophysiological similarities between serous and dermal wound healing, the efficacy of SupraSeal® in intraabdominal adhesion prevention was investigated at early time points. After standardized serosal damage, Wistar rats were examined macroscopically, histologically and immunohistochemically on days two, four and eight postoperatively. On day eight, all specimens of the control group presented distinctive adhesions consisting of fibrous tissue bands. In contrast, most specimens covered by SupraSeal® were adhesion-free. Merely mild adhesion formation due to suture material used for fixation was detected. Histologically, SupraSeal® revealed rapid clearance of fibrin and a marked lack of fibrosis. For the first time, the histomorphological effects of SupraSeal® on adhesion formation over time are described and the relevance of the early stage of wound healing elucidated.