Adhesion formation after laparoscopic surgery: what do we know about the role of the peritoneal environment?

In spite of the approaches that have been proposed to reduce postoperative peritoneal adhesions, they remain a major clinical problem because of the associated intestinal obstruction, chronic pelvic pain, female infertility and difficulties at the time of reoperation. The pathogenesis of the process have been focused almost exclusively on the local events induced by the surgical trauma, and the strategies for adhesion prevention thus focused on barriers to separate surgically denuded areas. The important role of the peritoneal cavity environment only recently became apparent and is not yet incorporated in adhesion reducing strategies.