Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Faster Healing after Surgery with Sugary Band-Aid
From NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College
The compound called DHA (dihydroxyacetone (MPEG-pDHA)), commonly used in sunless tanning spray to make the lotion stick to the skin without wiping off, is now being applied to seal post-surgical incisions and speed healing.
Procedures to remove cancerous breast tissue, for example, often leave a hollow space that fills with seroma fluid that must typically be drained by a temporary implanted drain. “This is an unpleasant side effect of surgery that is often unavoidable,” explains Dr. Jason Spector, plastic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
The new DHA-based gel could potentially be used in all different reconstructive surgeries to prevent seroma formation. “The new substance would act to glue together the hole left behind to prevent seroma buildup,” says Dr. Spector.
Other currently used “bio-glues” are made from animal products and take a long time to degrade in the body—both factors that raise the risk of infection. “DHA is a compound that is naturally produced in the body,” explains Dr. David Putnam, a biomedical engineer from Cornell University, which makes DHA a superior alternative.
Read the full article here.
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