Prevention of peritoneal adhesion formation by fibrin sealant. An experimental study in rats.

The preventive effect of rat and human fibrin sealing on intra-abdominal adhesion formation was investigated in 40 rats. Intraperitoneal adhesion formation was induced by excision of 1 X 3 cm of the peritoneal parietalmuscular layer, subsequently closed by interrupted 3-0 silk sutures. A total of 80 defects were allocated to one of four treatments: 1) the defect was covered with human fibrin sealant with the aid of a syringe. 2) the defect was covered with rat fibrin sealant with the aid of a syringe. 3) the defect was covered with human fibrin sealant with the aid of a spray. 4) the defect was not covered (control group). Assessment of the adhesion formation one week postoperatively showed that the median length of adhesions in defects covered with fibrin sealant applied by a syringe (10.5 mm) or by spray (14 mm) was less than that of the control group (25 mm) to a significantly high degree (P less than 0.001). It is concluded that fibrin sealant prevents intraperitoneal adhesion formation in the present rat model.