Comparison of 4% icodextrin and auto-crosslinked hyaluronic acid gel in terms of efficacy and cost effectivity in preventing postoperative abdominal adhesions

This experimental study was designed to compare the effects and costs of 4% icodextrin and hyaluronic acid in intraabdominal adhesion formation in rats. This study included 30 healthy Wistar albino rats, each weighing 250-300 gr. Following cecal-ileal abrasion to rats in each group, the following treatments were applied: Group 1 (control, n:10) 5 ml saline irrigation; Group 2 (n:10) 5 ml 4% icodextrin solution; Group 3 (n:10) 3 ml auto-crosslinked hyaluronic acid gel. After 14 days, following a second operation, adhesion intensity scoring, histopathological assessment (inflammation, fibrosis) and costs were compared between groups. The lowest postoperative adhesion intensity score was found in the group 3 and the highest score was found in the group 1 (p=0.028). Group 3 had a non-significantly lower adhesion intensity score than group 2 (p>0.05). In terms of inflammation and fibrosis, group 2 had the lowest score, but there were no significant differences between all the groups (p>0.05). In terms of cost, 4% icodextrin is less expensive than hyaluronic acid. The results demonstrated that both hyaluronic acid and 4% icodextrin are similarly effective in reducing postoperative intraabdominal adhesions. In addition, 4% icodextrin is more cost-effective, which can be an advantage for clinical studies.