Treatment of suture line bleeding with a novel synthetic surgical sealant in a canine iliac PTFE graft model

CoSeal(TM) surgical sealant (CoSeal) was evaluated for inhibiting suture li ne bleeding using a canine iliac PTFE graft model. Both iliac arteries of 1 2 heparinized canines were grafted with PTFE. CoSeal was applied to the sut ure lines of one graft in each animal. The contra-lateral graft served as a control and bleeding was controlled with gauze and pressure (tamponade). T he cross-clamps were removed 30 s following application of CoSeal. Times to hemostasis and volume of blood loss at each graft site were determined. Co mpared to tamponade control. CoSeal significantly reduced the time to hemos tasis (average of 5 min vs. greater than 15 min, p < 0.05) and blood loss ( 19 g vs. 284 g, p < 0.05). Small amounts of CoSeal were visible grossly or histologically at day 7. Histology shelved moderate to merited inflammation in CoSeal sites and moderate inflammation in control sites at day 7. At 30 and 60 days, no CoSeal was visible grossly or histologically. Histology sh owed moderate inflammation in both CoSeal treated sites and in control site s at day 30 and mild to moderate inflammation in both CoSeal and control si tes at day 60. CoSeal significantly reduced the time to hemostasis and bloo d loss in comparison to tamponade. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.