Published online Dec 27, 2021. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v13.i12.1736
Peer-review started: April 19, 2021
First decision: July 27, 2021
Revised: August 11, 2021
Accepted: November 18, 2021
Article in press: November 18, 2021
Published online: December 27, 2021
Processing time: 249 Days and 0.8 Hours
Several applications of platelet rich plasma (PRP) have been reported in the literature. Some examples include maxillofacial, orthopedic and plastic surgery where PRP is considered to improve the wound healing process. PRP is easily extracted from patient’s blood and includes a variety of growth factor that is thought to improve the wound healing process.
Preclinical studies shows that the PRP has a positive impact in the healing process of bowel anastomosis.
The aim of this study is to define the role of PRP in general surgery, especially in procedures involving bowel anastomosis. Therefore, a systematic review of the literature was performed.
A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases. Animal studies that investigated the effect of PRP on bowel anastomosis were included in our analysis.
Among the 2407 studies screened, 18 animal studies were finally included in our analysis. An end-to-end bowel anastomosis was performed in all included studies. PRP origin was autologous in 8 studies and homologous in 10 studies. In 13 out of 18 studies PRP was applied topically to the bowel anastomosis. No postoperative complications attributed to PRP application were reported. Common anastomosis related parameters measured among the included studies were the anastomotic bursting pressure, tissue hydroxyproline, collagen deposition and inflammatory cell infiltration. The individual study results in the aforementioned parameters are presented in tables.
The application of PRP in bowel anastomosis is feasible and seems to be free of any major complications. PRP application compared to control groups did not show any significant changes in the majority of the included studies. However, in the presence of an underlying condition that impairs intestinal wound healing, including peritonitis or chemotherapy, the application of PRP could potentially improve the healing process.
Although the results of this study support the use of PRP in bowel anastomosis, further research is needed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of PRP on human bowel anastomoses.