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  • Title: Potentially deleterious effect of cornstarch glove powder in tubal reconstructive surgery.
    Author: Yaffe H, Reinhartz T, Laufer N, Beyth Y.
    Journal: Fertil Steril; 1978 Jun; 29(6):699-701. PubMed ID: 658484.
    Abstract:
    Even with the most painstaking techniques, cornstarch granules used as surgical glove powder are deposited in the abdominal cavity during laparotomy. In tubal reconstructive surgery, aimed at the elimination of fibrous adhesions, this deposition may have undesirable consequences. After a successful operation, starch particles introduced in the abdominal cavity may result in the formation of new adhesions. It is therefore desirable to develop an alternative, completely nonreactive, glove powder. This study attempted to determine whether cornstarch granules when used as surgical glove powder are deposted in the peritoneal cavity during surgery. To this end 10 women undergoing tubal reconstructive surgery by microsurgical techniques and 10 women undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy were studied. Their abdominal cavities were washed 2 times; once at the start of the operation and once at its close using 50 ml of normal saline to irrigate before 20 ml fluid samples were extracted from the pouch of Douglas for cytological examination. All 40 fluid samples were heavily contaminated with starch particles; some of the fluid samples from the end of surgery also showed phagocytosis beginning. Therefore, even with microsurgical techniques designed to minimize adhesion formation postoperatively, the cornstarch in which surgical gloves are packed may result in pelvic adhesion formation. A new nonreactive glove powder must be developed.
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