In a paper published in TECHNOLOGY, a group of researchers has investigated a novel Polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) that provides a barrier to prevent adhesions in post-operative complications. This has the potential to avoid the need for a second surgery to remove the adhesions. Adhesions are fibrous bridges that form between tissues and organs. They can occur in spinal, intestinal, and peritoneal (abdominal cavity) regions of the body, as a result of surgery, injury, inflammation, or infection.
Adhesions usually occur in abdominal, pericardial, and peridural spaces. It is estimated that 303,836 hospitalization cases, 800,000 days of inpatient care and $1.33 billion expenditures can be attributed to adhesion formation. Adhesion causes discomfort, extreme pain, reduced mobility, difficulty breathing, and infertility. The success rates of available anti-adhesive barriers are still low and…
