Gastrotomy followed by gastrorrhaphy as a reliable and more physiologic technique for inducing peritoneal adhesion in rats

OBJECTIVE: this research objective was to develop a new peritoneal adhesion animal model that would lead to adhesions formation in all operated animals, simple and reproducible, associated with maintenance the animal’s health. METHODS: eighteen adult male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) were randomly distributed into three groups: Control Group (anatomical and clinical parameters), Sham Group (delicate manipulation of the stomach and exposure of the peritoneal cavity to ambient air) and Surgery Group (gastrotomy followed by gastrorrhaphy). The animals were analyzed and classificated macroscopically according to two adhesion classification models and differences between groups were considered significant when p<0.05. RESULTS: the six animals in the control group had no peritoneal adhesions, three of the six animals in the sham group had focal peritoneal adhesions, and all animals in the surgery group (gastrotomy followed by gastrorraphy) had firm peritoneal adhesions. All adhesions found were macroscopically quantified and microscopically confirmed, without carrying out a microscopic classification of the adhesions. CONCLUSION: the new model developed of gastrotomy followed by gastrorrhaphy, proved to be safe and efficient to induce and study peritoneal adhesions.