Postoperative adhesions are an expected outcome with nearly every abdominal operation. Complications caused by adhesions include small bowel obstruction, female infertility, chronic debilitating pain, and difficulty in future operations. It has been estimated that in the United States, the total annual cost of removing lower abdominal adhesions exceeds $2 billion in overall inpatient treatment charges, excluding recuperation and lost productivity. Luna Innovations is developing sutureless resorbable adhesive barrier films for the prevention of intra-abdominal post-operative adhesions. Immediate applications include prevention of adhesions after laparotomy and laparoscopy, but the material can be adapted easily to create a family of adhesives or sealants with properties that can be customized for various applications including hemostatic agents, wound dressings, glues and sealants. The novel material consists of surface-modified blends of two abundant and low-cost polymers. The material can be used as a carrier for controlled release of therapeutics. It should also have inherent hemostatic and bacteriostatic properties and the degradation products should stimulate correct deposition, assembly and orientation of collagen fibrils in extracellular matrix components. Physical and mechanical properties, such as strength and degradation rate can be controlled by altering the composition while adhesion to tissue depends, in part, on the surface modification. Cytocompatibility, biodegradability and adhesion to tissue were demonstrated in Phase I. Phase II development will be focused on optimization, comprehensive in vitro and ex vivo testing, and validation in vivo.
Postoperative adhesions are an expected outcome with nearly every abdominal operation. Complications caused by adhesions include small bowel obstruction, female infertility, chronic debilitating pain, and difficulty in future operations. Luna Innovations is developing sutureless resorbable adhesive barrier films for the prevention of intra-abdominal post-surgical adhesions.
