Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid solution in preventing intraperitoneal (IP) adhesions.
Design and setting: The study design was prospective, randomized and blinded and involved 83 rats.
Interventions: Measured serosal injury was inflicted using a CO2 laser on the right uterine horn of the rat. Animals randomized to groups 1 and 2 received either 0.4% hyaluronic acid or its diluent phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) intraperitoneally before and after the injury. In groups 3 and 4, the same solutions were used only after the injury. Postoperative adhesions were assessed at second-look laparotomy. Histologic assessment of the fresh laser injury was carried out on uteri pretreated with hyaluronic acid, PBS, or nothing.
Main outcome: Pretreatment with hyaluronic acid was associated with a significant reduction in postoperative adhesions and a significantly decreased crater depth.
Conclusions: Hyaluronic acid appears to reduce postoperative IP adhesion formation by coating the serosal surfaces and decreasing the extent of initial tissue injury.