Application of Polymer Hydrogels in the Prevention of Postoperative Adhesion: A Review

Postoperative adhesion is a common post-surgery complication formed between the surface of the body cavity, ranging from a layer of connective tissue to a fibrous bridge containing blood vessels and nerve tissue. Despite achieving a lot of progress, the mechanisms of adhesion formation still need to be further studied. In addition, few current treatments are consistently effective in the prevention of postoperative adhesion. Hydrogel is a kind of water-expanding crosslinked hydrophilic polymer network generated by a simple reaction of one or more monomers. Due to the porous structure, hydrogels can load different drugs and control the drug release kinetics. Evidence from existing studies has confirmed the feasibility and superiority of using hydrogels to counter postoperative adhesions, primarily due to their outstanding antifouling ability. In this review, the current research status of hydrogels as anti-adhesion barriers is summarized, the character of hydrogels in the prevention of postoperative adhesion is briefly introduced, and future research directions are discussed.

Automated summary

Postoperative adhesion is a common complication after surgery, involving the formation of fibrous bridges between different layers of tissues. Despite progress in understanding the mechanism, effective prevention of adhesion is still challenging. Hydrogels, as water-expanding polymers with drug-loading capability, have shown promising antifouling abilities for preventing postoperative adhesion. This review summarizes the current research status of hydrogels as anti-adhesion barriers, highlights their characteristics in preventing adhesion, and discusses future research directions.