Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hydrogel-coated mesh prevents pelvic adhesions after surgery in rats
By Chang WC et al.·2026·Department of Chemical Engineering·View original on Europe PMC →
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Original publication title: Photo-crosslinked carboxymethyl cellulose/collagen hydrogel-infused mesh for preventing postoperative pelvic adhesions in a rat model.
- Species:
- rodent
Plain-English summary
In this study, researchers looked at a new type of hydrogel made from modified cellulose and collagen, which they infused into surgical mesh to help prevent the formation of scar tissue after surgery in rats. They found that this hydrogel was very effective at stopping adhesions, which are unwanted connections between tissues that can occur after surgery. When they tested it in a model where they caused injury to the rats' intestines, the hydrogel reduced the amount of adhesions to almost none, compared to a significant number in untreated rats. The hydrogel also showed good compatibility with the body and caused minimal inflammation. Overall, the treatment worked well in preventing postoperative adhesions, suggesting it could be useful in real surgeries for pets and people.
Abstract
Postoperative adhesion formation remains a critical challenge in abdominal and pelvic surgeries involving mesh implantation. In this study, we developed an anti-adhesion hydrogel by photo-crosslinking methacrylated carboxymethyl cellulose (CMCMA) with maleated collagen (ColME), which was infused into surgical meshes for anti-adhesion. The CMCMA/ColME hydrogel exhibited shear-thinning behavior, high water content, and tunable mechanical properties, as well as good cytocompatibility. In a rat cecal abrasion model, the hydrogel reduced intra-abdominal adhesion scores to 0 compared to untreated group 3 ± 2.07 (p < 0.05). When applied to surgical polypropylene mesh in a rat pelvic implantation model, the hydrogel-infused mesh demonstrated significantly lower adhesion scores (mean score 0.17 ± 0.41 vs. 4 ± 0.76, p < 0.001) and minimal tissue inflammatory. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed diminished collagen deposition and macrophage infiltration around the hydrogel-infused mesh. These findings indicate that the CMCMA/ColME hydrogel provides an effective barrier to prevent postoperative adhesions, with high biocompatibility and potential clinical applicability in abdominal and pelvic repair procedures.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41354373