Current options for the prevention of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions

Postoperative adhesions are the most common cause of morbidity after abdominal and pelvic surgery. The clinical manifestations of postoperative adhesions can manifest within a few weeks or even several years after the surgery. They result from peritoneal irritation caused by surgical trauma or intra-abdominal infection. Normal peritoneal healing relies on the balance between fibrin deposition and its degradation. In this paper-using information derived from the Medline, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases-we briefly summarize the pathogenesis of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions and various strategies for possible prevention.