Patient-specific 3D-bioprinted anti-fibrosis barriers to reduce adhesions after abdominal and pelvic surgery

Adhesions after surgery continue to pose serious issues. Postoperatively, adhesions are one of the most common causes of chronic abdominal pain, infertility, intestinal blockage, and healthcare-related financial burden. Only a few anti-adhesion products have been developed to prevent these problems and most of them show suboptimal outcomes due to a lack of conformity to the location of the surgery, poor durability, and low bioactivity. In this letter, we discuss the need for new solutions, and present a new concept: Customized, 3D-printed barriers (Bio-Printed Anti-Fibrosis Barriers) made from regenerative biomaterials. Custom-designed biomaterials can fit precisely into the surgical cavity, provide focused delivery of anti-inflammatory agents, and guide the regeneration of tissue. The convergence of bioprinting technology and regenerative biomaterials may serve as an innovative avenue for decreasing morbidity associated with adhesions after oncologic and reconstructive surgery.