One percent sodium carboxymethylcellulose prevents experimentally induced abdominal adhesions in horses.
Authors: Hay W P, Mueller P O, Harmon B, Amoroso L
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose for Adhesion Prevention in Equine Abdominal Surgery Post-operative abdominal adhesions remain a significant complication of equine colic surgery, often leading to recurrent colic and additional interventions; this 2001 study investigated whether intraoperative application of 1% sodium carboxymethylcellulose (SCMC) could reduce adhesion formation in a controlled experimental model. Hay and colleagues induced standardised intestinal trauma in 12 horses through serosal abrasion and jejunal resection with anastomosis, then treated six horses with 2 litres of 1% SCMC applied before and after surgical manipulation, whilst controls received saline alone. The treatment group showed dramatically reduced adhesion formation: all six control horses developed intraabdominal adhesions (five with fibrous adhesions at both abrasion and anastomotic sites), whereas only one treated horse developed adhesions at abrasion sites and none at anastomotic sites—a statistically significant difference (P <0.05). For equine practitioners managing colic surgery cases, particularly those at elevated risk of re-adhesion (traumatic injuries, multiple anastomoses), incorporating 1% SCMC as an intraoperative barrier during celiotomy represents a practical, low-risk adjunct that may meaningfully decrease morbidity associated with post-operative adhesion formation.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Consider intraoperative application of 1% SCMC during colic surgery, particularly when extensive intestinal manipulation or anastomosis is required, as it substantially reduces adhesion formation risk
- •SCMC application appears most beneficial at anastomotic sites where adhesions carry high risk for future colic episodes
- •Simple intraoperative protocol (2L application before and after manipulation) with no reported adverse effects makes this practical to implement in field and hospital settings
Key Findings
- •All 6 control horses developed intraabdominal adhesions following experimental serosal trauma and intestinal surgery
- •Only 1 of 6 treated horses (17%) developed adhesions at abrasion sites compared to 5 of 6 controls (83%)
- •No adhesions formed at anastomotic sites in any SCMC-treated horse versus 5 of 6 control horses
- •Application of 1% SCMC significantly reduced adhesion frequency (P<0.05) in this experimental model