If you are going to have abdominal or pelvic (gynecologic) surgery, you may be interested in some potential complications--such as bowel obstruction, infertility, and chronic pelvic pain--that may result from the unavoidable trauma that occurs during your procedure or from adhesions.

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Adhesions are scar tissues that often cause internal organs and/or tissues to stick together after surgery. Adhesions can twist and pull organs out of their normal places and are a primary cause of bowel obstruction, infertility (following gynecologic surgery), and chronic pelvic pain.¹ Subsequent abdominal or pelvic operations to the same area can also be complicated by adhesions.^2,3

Surgeons and other health care professionals are dedicated to providing the best possible patient care and have developed techniques for minimizing injury during abdominal or pelvic surgery. Their aim is to minimize tissue damage and thereby minimize the formation of adhesions. Why? Because surgeons know that trauma to internal tissues can lead to adhesions.

The bad news is that adhesions can rarely be prevented in open abdominal or pelvic surgery, even at the hands of well-trained surgeons using modern techniques.

There is good news, too. Now surgeons have access to Seprafilm, an adhesion barrier that helps prevent adhesions and that has been proven safe and effective in major clinical studies.^1,4

Seprafilm^® Adhesion Barrier is indicated for the reduction of post-surgical adhesions in patients undergoing abdominal or pelvic laparotomy. The type and frequency of adverse events reported are consistent with events typically seen following surgery when used as directed. Seprafilm should not be wrapped around an intestinal anastomosis as such usage may result in increased anastomotic leak related events. For important safety information, please see the package insert.

1. Becker JM, Dayton MT, Fazio VW, et al. Prevention of postoperative abdominal adhesions by a sodium hyaluronate-based bioresorbable membrane: a prospective, randomized, double-blind multicenter study. J Am Coll Surg. 1996;183;297-306.

2. Monk BJ, Berman ML, Montz FJ. Adhesions after extensive gynecologic surgery: clinical significance, etiology, and prevention. Am J Obstet Gynec. 1994;170(5);1396-1403.

3. Van der Krabben AA, Dijkstra FR, Nieuwenhuijzen M, Reijnen MMPJ, Schaapveld M, Van Goor H. Morbidity and mortality of inadvertent enterotomy during adhesiotomy. Br J Surg. 2000;87;467-471.

4. Diamond MP. Reduction of adhesions after uterine myomectomy by Seprafilm membrane (HAL-F): a blinded, prospective, randomized, multicenter clinical study. Fert Steril. 1996;66(6);904-910.