Laparoscopic surgery seems to be associated with less adhesion formation and complications associated to surgical access when compared to laparotomy. Experimental and clinical evidence confirm this hypothesis but the impact of laparoscopy on adhesion formation and its complications remains undetermined. The present article aims at reviewing the evidence on this issue. Method: literature review. Results: Postoperative adhesions were evaluated at operation site and at surgical scars. Nevertheless, results on adhesion formation at sites distant from them are still unavailable. Adhesion formation was less common or reduced when laparoscopic access was compared to conventional surgery. Main adverse outcomes regarding adhesion formation are pelvic pain, infertility, and intestinal obstruction. There is little evidence of reduced incidence of these adverse outcomes after laparoscopic surgery when compared to conventional access and there may be none at all when major laparoscopic operations are considered. This finding may be due to a similar extent of dissection after conventional or advanced video operations with the exception of the adhesions related to the incisions. Conclusions: Laparoscopic surgery is associated to less adhesion formation but may not protect from adverse outcomes expected after abdominal operations. Adequate surgical technique and the use of commercially available adhesion barriers may be major determinants from adhesions formation and its consequences.
Adhesions; Laparoscopy; Intestinal Obstruction; Pelvic Pain; Infertility