Surgical Adhesive for Aortic Surgery

New clinical data show positive clinical performance of a new surgical adhesive as a hemostatic adjunct in aortic valve and proximal aortic surgery. The data were presented at the annual meeting of the Aortic Surgery Symposium in New York (NY, USA) in April 2004.

In the study, use of the adhesive, called BioGlue, helped facilitate a minimal reliance on blood products and a low mortality rate for patients undergoing complex aortic valve and proximal aortic surgical procedures. The study involved 92 patients 23-85 years old, who had undergone cardiac surgical procedures, including ascending arch repairs, ascending root repairs, and Ross procedures. In all cases, BioGlue was used as a hemostatic and structural adjunct to standard surgical methods. Of the 92 patients, 11 required no perioperative blood products (12%) and the mortality rate for this series was 2.2%. No device-related complications were observed. In another case, BioGlue helped to prevent intraoperative bleeding.

"The ability of BioGlue to rapidly and effectively prevent bleeding at the surgical site helped simplify this procedure and reduce the chances of postoperative complications for this high-risk patient,” said lead investigator Dr. John Fehrenbacher, cardiothoracic surgeon, Methodist Hospital of Indiana (USA). "Use of this surgical adhesive has proven to be an effective method of decreasing the risk of bleeding complications.”

BioGlue is the product of CryoLife, Inc. (Atlanta, GA, USA). It is composed of purified bovine serum albumin (BSA), a cow protein, and a chemical called glutaraldehyde. BioGlue employs a unique delivery system, incorporating a single prefilled cartridge and applicator device, providing the surgeon with complete control of the adhesive at the surgical site.




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