title: Improved vascular tissue fusion using new light-activated surgical adhesive on a canine model.
abstract: Newly developed light-activated surgical adhesives have been investigated as a substitute to traditional protein solders for vascular tissue fusion without the need for sutures. Canine femoral arteries (n = 14), femoral veins (n = 14), and carotid arteries (n = 10) were exposed, and a 0.3-0.6 cm longitudinal incision was made in the vessel walls. The surgical adhesive, composed of a poly(L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) scaffold doped with the traditional protein solder mix of bovine serum albumin and indocyanine green dye, was used to close the incisions in conjunction with an 805 nm diode laser. Blood flow was restored to the vessels immediately after the procedure and the incision sites were checked for patency. The new adhesives were flexible enough to be wrapped around the vessels while their solid nature avoided the problems associated with "runaway" of the less viscous liquid protein solders widely used by researchers. Assessment parameters included measurement of the ex vivo intraluminal bursting pressure 1-2 h after surgery, as well as histology. The acute intraluminal bursting pressures were significantly higher in the laser-solder group (>300 mmHg) compared to the suture control group (<150 mmHg) where four evenly spaced sutures were used to repair the vessel (n = 4). Histological analysis showed negligible evidence of collateral thermal damage to the underlying tissue in the laser-solder repair group. These initial results indicated that laser-assisted vascular repair using the new adhesives is safe, easy to perform, and contrary to conventional suturing, provides an immediate leak-free closure. In addition, the flexible and moldable nature of the new adhesives should allow them to be tailored to a wide range of tissue geometries, thus greatly improving the clinical applicability of laser-assisted tissue repair.
authors.affiliation: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Department of Applied Biology and Biomedical Engineering, Terre Haute, Indiania 47803, USA. karen.mcnally@rose-hulman.edu
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McNally
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Sorg
authors.forename: D X
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Heintzelman
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Welch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D004285:Dogs; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D007834:Lasers; D008027:Light; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011108:Polymers; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011108:Polymers; D014014:Tissue Adhesives