Medical 'superglue' shows promise for heart surgery

Conclusion This innovative glue has shown promise during animal experiments involving rats and pigs. The consistency and technique of "fixing" the glue appears to show some advantages for new surgical techniques, but there are some limitations that need to be addressed before it can be tested in humans. The researchers mention that the "rapid curing" (the light treatment process) helped avoid exposure to high temperatures, but it is not clear what effect the UV light may have on surrounding tissues. The animals were also only followed up for a short period of time after the surgery. It would be important to find out if there are any longer term side effects of using this technique. This research has great potential for the future, but longer term studies will be required to assess for complications and any toxic effects before human experiments will be possible.  Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter. Links To The Headlines Medical glue 'can fix broken heart'. BBC News, January 8 2014 Links To Science Lang N, Pereira MJ, Lee Y, et al. A Blood-Resistant Surgical Glue for Minimally Invasive Repair of Vessels and Heart Defects. Science Translational Medicine. Published online January 8 2014
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Medical practice Source Type: news