In vivo tissue repair using light-activated surgical adhesive in a porcine model

An in vivo study was conducted to investigate the feasibility, mechanical function, and chronic biocompatibility of a new light-activated surgical adhesive for achieving rapid hemostasis of the puncture site following diagnostic catheterization and interventional cardiac procedures. Porcine carotid arteries (n=6) and femoral arteries (n=6) were exposed, and an incision was made in the arterial walls using a 16G needle. The surgical adhesive, composed of a poly(L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffold doped with the traditional protein solder mix of serum albumin and indocyanine green dye, was used to close the incisions in conjunction with an 805nm diode laser. Blood flow was restored to the vessels immediately after the procedure and the incision sites were checked for patency. The strength and hemostatic abilities of the new surgical adhesive were evaluated in the context of arterial pressure, persistence of hemostasis and presence of any inflammatory reaction after 3 days. After this evaluation period, the surgical procedure was repeated on the carotid arteries (n=6) and femoral arteries (n=6) of three additional animals that had been heparinized prior to surgery to closer approximate the conditions seen in a typical vascular surgical setting. The patency rate of both the unheparinized and heparinized vessels was 100% at 3 days post-operative with evidence of intraluminal thrombosis seen in only one of the repaired vessels. The adhesive technique also compared favorably with a previous study conducted using conventional suture techniques. Repairs formed with the adhesive technique were achieved more rapidly than suturing, and acute leakage was observed less frequently. The new light-activated surgical adhesive thus has great promise as an alternative to conventional repair techniques for achieving rapid vascular hemostasis following cardiac procedures.