Impact of Polyethylene Glycol and Dextran 70 Treatment on Adhesion Formation after Subtotal Thyroidectomy

Secondary thyroidectomy can be complicated due to adhesions. This study evaluates the impact of two antiadhesive barriers on adhesion formation after subtotal thyroidectomy in a rat model. Twenty-eight Wistar alb ino rats were randomized into three groups after subtotal thyroidectomy. Dextran 70 was used in Group 1 (n=10), Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used in Group 2 (n =10), and the control group was Group 3 (n = 8). At postoperative day 14, surgical fields were scored regarding parameters including extent of fib rosis. All subjects in the control group (8 of 8), 6 of 10 subjects in the Dextran 70 g roup, and 3 of 10 animals in the PEG group had either filmy or dense adhesions. There was a significant difference in adhesion density scores (P<.05) between the PEG and control groups, whereas the difference between the Dextran 70 and control groups was not significant. Histopathological examination results showed significantly lower fibrosis scores in the PEG group compared to the Dextran 70 (p=0.001) and control groups (P<.05), while there was no significant difference between the fibrosis scores of the Dextran 70 and control groups. The anti-adhesive barrier PEG significantly decreased adhesion formation after subtotal thyroidectomy.