Collagen membrane/fleece composite film reduces adhesions in the presence of bleeding in a rabbit uterine horn model

Objective: Determination of efficacy in presence of bleeding of CDS, a coll agen/membrane fleece composite, in a rabbit uterine horn simple abrasion mo del. Design: Randomized, controlled, and blinded study involving standard abrasi on of the uterine horns with induction of moderate mesouterine bleeding. Setting: Research laboratory. Patient(s): New Zealand White rabbits. Intervention(s): No treatment (surgical control), CDS film, or INTERCEED ba rrier (negative reference control). Main Outcome Measure(s) and Result(s): The extent (percent length uterine h orn) with adhesions was assessed after 29 or 30 days. Adhesions formed in s urgical controls to an extent (85.6% +/- 4.6%) consistent with historic dat a for this model. INTERCEED failed to reduce adhesions (78.1% +/- 7.7%) ind icating that the test conditions of inadequate hemostasis were validated. C DS film, despite this inadequate hemostasis, reduced the extent of adhesion s (31% +/- 7.4%; P < .01). Both the tenacity (P=.0008) and degree of uterin e convolution (P=.000003) was reduced by CDS film but not by INTERCEED. Conclusion(s): Under conditions of inadequate hemostasis CDS effected a red uction in adhesion development. CDS may be useful adjuvant for procedures w here hemostasis is difficult to achieve. (C) 2001 by American Society for R eproductive Medicine.