San Antonio Cosmetic SurgeryNew Surgical Adhesive in Development

A new surgical adhesive may remove the necessity for surgical drains, if approved by the FDA, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Most often when patients who undergo a procedure like a body lift, in which excess fat and skin are removed circumferentially around the midsection, the incisions are closed with sutures. A side effect of a surgery like this is that fluid can build up in the areas around the sutures. As such, patients must often wear surgical drains for days and sometimes even weeks following treatment. This can leave the incision open for infection and the tubes themselves can be bothersome for patients.

TissuGlu, the surgical adhesive which was recently approved for use in Europe, is administered quickly and can greatly improve patient experience. The product, which does not require mixing or refrigerating, is applied by the plastic surgeon who places drops of it along the incision. The process takes just a couple of minutes and achieves a full bond in 30 to 45 minutes. In some cases, it may reduce a patient's recovery time.

In testing of the surgical adhesive in 2009, none of the 40 patients tested at three different hospitals experienced complications. The ease of use and lack of complications in this testing of the surgical adhesive may be due in part to its components. While similar to other adhesives, TissuGlu is primarily made up of amino acids. These components are absorbed by the body as water, sugar and carbon dioxide.

Though European approval has already taken place, clinical testing is scheduled to take place in the US in early 2012 and the application for FDA approval is to be submitted by the end of this year.

To learn more about advances in plastic surgery, like this surgical adhesive or specials on non-surgical treatments in the meantime, please join the mailing list of San Antonio Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Ortegon.