Methods for reducing or eliminating post-surgical adhesion formation

A method for reducing or preventing adhesions in a patient comprising exposing tissue which has been subjected to tissue damage and is at risk for the formation of adhesions to a polymeric composition comprising polymers of the chemical structure:

• ##STR5## where m, a and b are positive integers, R is an ethylene group and/or propylene group with the proviso that R is not exclusively a propylene group when m is more than 1, R' is a C.sub.2 to C.sub.8 alkylene group, a cycloalkyl or cycloalkyl-containing group, an aryl or aryl-containing group, 4,4'-diphenylmethane, toluene, naphthalene, 4,4'-dicyclohexylmethane, cyclohexyl, 3,3'-dimethylphenyl, 3,3'-dimethyl-diphenylmethane, 4,6'-xylylene, 3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexyl, 2,2,4-trimethylhexamethylene or p-phenylene and R.sub.1 is H or CH.sub.3, said polymeric composition comprising no more than about 1.0% by weight crosslinking and having an EO/LA ratio ranging from about 0.5 to 5.0.

A method for reducing or preventing adhesions in a patient comprising exposing tissue which has been subjected to tissue damage and is at risk for the formation of adhesions to a polymeric composition comprising polymers of the chemical structure:

• ##STR6## where m, x and y are positive integers, R is an ethylene and/or propylene group with the proviso that R is not exclusively a propylene group when m is greater than 1, R.sub.1 is a hydrogen or methyl group, R" is a C.sub.0 to C.sub.12 alkylene group or a hydroxyl or carboxylic acid substituted alkyl group, a cycloalkyl, a hydroxyl-containing cyclo alkyl, or cycloalkyl-containing group, an aryl or aryl-containing group, or a polyoxyalkylene chain comprised of poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(ethylene oxide)-co-poly(propylene oxide), said polymeric composition comprising no more than about 1.0% by weight crosslinking and having an EO/LA ratio ranging from about 0.5 to 5.0.

A method for reducing or preventing adhesions in a patient comprising exposing tissue which has been subjected to tissue damage and is at risk for the formation of adhesions to a polymeric composition comprising polymers of the chemical structure:

• ##STR7## where j, k and m are positive integers, R is an ethylene or propylene group with the proviso that R is not exclusively a propylene group when m is greater than 1, R' is a C.sub.2 to C.sub.12 alkylene group, a cycloalkyl or cycloalkyl-containing group, an aryl or aryl-containing group, 4,4'-diphenylmethane, toluene, naphthalene, 4,4'-dicyclohexylmethane, cyclohexyl, 3,3'-dimethylphenyl, 3,3'-dimethyl-diphenylmethane, 4,6'-xylylene, 3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexyl, 2,2,4-trimethylhexamethylene or p-phenylene, R'" is a polyoxyalkylene chain comprising poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(ethylene oxide)-co-poly(propylene oxide) and R.sub.1 is H or CH.sub.3, said polymeric composition comprising no more than about 1.0% by weight crosslinking and having an EO/LA ratio ranging from about 0.5 to 5.0.

A method for reducing or preventing adhesions in a patient comprising exposing tissue which has been subjected to tissue damage and is at risk for the formation of adhesions to a polymeric composition comprising polymers which are chain-extended, substantially non-water soluble poly(hydroxy-carboxylic acid)/polyethylene oxide ABA triblocks, where said A block comprises an aliphatic polyester and said B block comprises poly(ethyleneoxide) or poly(ethyleneoxide)-co-poly(propylene oxide), said polymeric composition comprising no more than about 1.0% by weight crosslinking and having an EO/LA ratio ranging from about 0.5 to 5.0.