Extensive adhesions often contain blood vessels. Most studies that looked at using corticosteroid drugs to help prevent adhesions reported little success. One possibility is that peritoneal surgery simply overwhelms the therapeutic benefits of the dose. Some studies have shown a marked reduction in adhesion formation in animal models when the drug was given peri-operatively. Areas devascularized by surgery are hypoxic, thus permitting fibrin persistence and adhesion formation.
Devascularized sites are prime adhesion candidates.
However, these sites are not readily available to drugs given systemically. Perhaps another method of drug delivery would help. Dextran Dextran is a water-soluble glucose polymer originally used as a plasma expander. Hyskon is the best known brand name. Hyskon is slowly absorbed in five to seven days.