Abstract
Despite the great efforts made to prevent postoperative adhesions, an ideal therapy is yet to be identified. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of intraperitoneal liquid paraffin on adhesion prevention. A peritoneal patch was excised from the right iliac fossa, and left uterine cornuectomy was performed in 24 female Sprague-Dawley rats. The raw areas and the peritoneum were painted with a cotton swab soaked in liquid paraffin in 12 rats (study group) and with a dry cotton swab in 12 (controls). After one month, both groups were subjected to a second-look laparotomy. All animals of the control group showed dense fibrous adhesions. Of the study group, two rats showed thin filmy adhesions, while the remaining 10 had no adhesions. Complications from liquid paraffin were not encountered. Liquid paraffin reduces postoperative adhesions presumably through forming a thin film over the raw area, thus giving the raw area a chance to heal and meanwhile preventing gut adhesions to it. The method is simple, easy, safe and cost-effective. Further studies are required to support the results before applying the procedure on humans.
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