Prevention of Post-Operative Adhesions: A Comprehensive Review of Present and Emerging Strategies
Ali Fatehi Hassanabad,
Anna N. Zarzycki,
Kristina Jeon,
Jameson A. Dundas,
Vishnu Vasanthan,
Justin F. Deniset,
Paul W. M. Fedak
Affiliations
Ali Fatehi Hassanabad
Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 2N9, Canada
Anna N. Zarzycki
Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 2N9, Canada
Kristina Jeon
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R7, Canada
Jameson A. Dundas
Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 2N9, Canada
Vishnu Vasanthan
Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 2N9, Canada
Justin F. Deniset
Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 2N9, Canada
Paul W. M. Fedak
Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 2N9, Canada
Post-operative adhesions affect patients undergoing all types of surgeries. They are associated with serious complications, including higher risk of morbidity and mortality. Given increased hospitalization, longer operative times, and longer length of hospital stay, post-surgical adhesions also pose a great financial burden. Although our knowledge of some of the underlying mechanisms driving adhesion formation has significantly improved over the past two decades, literature has yet to fully explain the pathogenesis and etiology of post-surgical adhesions. As a result, finding an ideal preventative strategy and leveraging appropriate tissue engineering strategies has proven to be difficult. Different products have been developed and enjoyed various levels of success along the translational tissue engineering research spectrum, but their clinical translation has been limited. Herein, we comprehensively review the agents and products that have been developed to mitigate post-operative adhesion formation. We also assess emerging strategies that aid in facilitating precision and personalized medicine to improve outcomes for patients and our healthcare system.
