Methods for Assessing the Severity of Adhesions in the Experiment and Clinical Setting

Abstract

The paper highlights major known approaches for an objective assessment of the severity of the adhesive process in the abdominal cavity. The scales used in experimental studies in vivo and in the clinic are considered separately. Considering various goals and objectives of experimental study, a wide range of scales has been proposed, taking into account the type of animals, the degree of the surgical zone involvement in the adhesive process, deformation of a hollow organ, degree of prevalence of the process in the abdominal cavity, adhesion density and shape, their vascularization, or a combination of the above criteria. The most universal scale applied in the clinical setting is Peritoneal Adhesion Index (PAI), which takes into account the severity and prevalence of the adhesive process, and the physical properties of peritoneal adhesions. To satisfy the objectives of a clinical study, simplified (Nair et al.) or more detailed scales (Ayushinova N.I. and co-authors) characterizing an adhesive process can be applied with a high degree of objectivity and informative.