Prevention of adhesion formation in Wistar-albino rats by increased bowel movements achieved with oral Ricinus oil use for 8 days postoperatively: an experimental study.

OBJECTIVE

Adhesion formation frequently occurs after abdominopelvic surgery and can cause significant morbidity for patients. Meticulous hemostasis, minimal access surgery and utilization of surgical adjuvants intraoperatively are clinically useful measures to minimize adhesion formation. We investigated the clinical efficiency of oral Ricinus oil treatment for 8 days postoperatively to decrease adhesion formation in this case-control study in a rat model.

STUDY DESIGN

Following computer-generated randomization, 24 female Wistar-albino rats were operated on, with 10 standard cautery lesions on the right uterine horn and two simple suture lesions on left uterine horn generated with absorbable material. Half (n=12) the rats received 0.13 g (0.2 ml) Ricinus oil emulsion (40 g/60 ml) via the oral route during the first 8 days postoperatively, and the remaining rats (n=11) were considered as controls. The extent, severity, degree, total adhesion scores and histopathological features of the adhesions were the main outcome measures.

RESULTS

The degree and total adhesion formation scores in the Ricinus oil group and control group revealed significant differences in adhesion extent and severity. The total adhesion scores of the Ricinus oil and control groups were 3.00 ± 2.21 and 5.18 ± 2.78 respectively (P<0.05). Differences in type of inflammation, extent of inflammation and vascularization were statistically insignificant for suture and cautery lesions individually (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Ricinus oil treatment following abdominopelvic surgery for the 8-day period that covers the completion of tissue healing process may be a promising, cheap and cost-effective treatment strategy for patients.