Wound Sealant Can Be Used in Liver Surgery

A study has demonstrated that a hemostatic sealant called FloSeal can be used to control bleeding during liver surgery. The study was presented at the Digestive Disease Week 2001 annual conference in Atlanta. The study involved 82 cancer surgery cases.

"We are very pleased with the ease of use of FloSeal and the high rate of effective hemostasis, even in cirrhotic patients,” noted Dr. Francesco Izzo, associate professor at the National Cancer Institute in Naples (Italy) and a clinical investigator for the study.

FloSeal is based on a bio-resorbable and proprietary collagen-based gel. Doctors are increasingly finding new uses for the sealant, according to the developer, Fusion Medical Technologies, Inc. (Fremont, CA, USA; www.fusionmed.com). The company markets FloSeal as an adjunct to hemostasis when control of bleeding by ligature or conventional procedures is ineffective or impractical. Surgeons have begun to use the product for spinal, cardiac, and ear, nose, and throat surgery, among other applications.

"The liver poses considerable challenges for bleeding control, because it is highly vascularized and difficult to suture—circumstances that are ideal to showcase the effectiveness of FloSeal,” said Philip Sawyer, CEO of Fusion Medical. "We hear regular reports of its success in both elective and trauma cases.”




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