Patent ID: 7732428

Claim:
A method of treating a patient to reduce, in a post-operative period following surgery involving a body cavity, the incidence of post-operative adhesions in the body cavity, comprising treating said patient prior to said post-operative period by introducing into the body cavity an an aqueous formulation comprising a polysaccharide dextrin in an amount effective to reduce the incidence of said post-operative adhesions, wherein the dextrin is unsubstituted and the dextrin contains more than 15% of polymers with a degree of polymerization (DP) greater than 12 and acts as an osmotic agent to maintain a volume of the aqueous formulation in the body cavity serving to separate tissues which otherwise may adhere to each other, and wherein the aqueous formulation is a solution in the body cavity and further remains in the body cavity for at least 2 days, wherein the aqueous formulation that is introduced prior to said post-operative period provides said treating.