A mussel-like, biodegradable natural hydrogel can effectively prevent adhesion after cardiac surgery

Postoperative cardiac tissue damage can lead to adhesions between the heart and surrounding tissues. These adhesions may result in restricted cardiac function, reduced quality of heart surgeries, and an increased risk of severe bleeding during reoperations. Therefore, it is essential to develop an effective anti-adhesion therapy to address postoperative cardiac adhesions. In this study, we propose a simple and easy-to-prepare adhesive hydrogel designed to prevent adhesions following cardiac surgery while maintaining normal cardiac pumping function. Dopamine was modified onto GelMA chains <i>via</i> a straightforward amidation reaction and mixed with silk fibroin to form a hydrogel (GelMA-DA/SF) under ultraviolet irradiation. <i>In vitro</i> experiments demonstrated that the GelMA-DA/SF hydrogel exhibited strong wet adhesion and could effectively degrade within 14 days. <i>In vivo</i> experiments showed that the GelMA-DA/SF hydrogel effectively prevented postoperative adhesions by reducing inflammation and friction. Therefore, the GelMA-DA/SF hydrogel is a reliable material for preventing postoperative adhesions and offers new insights and directions for subsequent therapeutic approaches.