TITLE:
Utilization of a Porcine Xenograft for the Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain Secondary to Post-Cesarean Adhesions: A Case Report
AUTHORS:
Kerri Spontarelli Fruit, Maxwell Lidstone, Jaou-Chen Huang, Kailey Suh, Khaliq Ahmad, Bo Young Suh
KEYWORDS:
Xenograft, Post-Operative Complications, Laparoscopic, Adhesions, Cesarean, Porcine
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Reproductive Sciences,
Vol.14 No.2,
May
25,
2026
ABSTRACT: Post-surgical adhesions are unavoidable and can lead to significant sequelae following abdominal surgeries, including Cesarean deliveries. These adhesions pose several risks to the patient, including secondary infertility, severe pelvic and abdominal pain, and bowel obstructions. Although strategies to limit adhesion formation, such as peritoneal closure and the application of adhesion-prevention barriers, are commonly employed, the available interventions beyond these measures remain limited. In this case, a 32-year-old female failed conventional adhesion-prevention and treatment strategies, necessitating a novel approach using porcine urinary bladder extracellular matrix (ACell, Inc.) as a re-adhesion barrier. Given the predominant use of porcine xenografts as a biological mesh in hernia repairs, there is minimal literature describing their potential role in adhesion prevention. This case demonstrates a novel application of a porcine xenograft and may open the door to new treatment options for refractory adhesions. Further studies to establish the efficacy of xenografts as adhesion-prevention barriers are needed to inform guidelines for their use in surgical interventions.