Blockage of a mechanical aortic valve leaflet with Bioglue: a case report

Biomaterials as Haemostatic Agents in Cardiovascular Surgery: Review of Current Situation and Future Trends

Intraoperative haemostasis is of paramount importance in the practice of cardiovascular surgery. Over the past 70 years, topical haemostatic methods have advanced significantly and today we deal with various haemostatic agents with different properties and different mechanisms of action. The particularity of coagulation mechanisms after extracorporeal circulation, has encouraged the introduction of new types of topic agents to achieve haemostasis, where conventional methods prove their limits. These products have an important role in cardiac, as well as in vascular, surgery, mainly in major vascular procedures, like aortic dissections and aortic aneurysms. This article presents those agents used for topical application and the mechanism of haemostasis and offers general recommendations for their use in the operating room.

Echo Findings of Intraoperative Surgical Glue Remnant on the Aortic Valve: A Case Report

Surgical adhesive agents are frequently applied to reinforce aortic sutures in cardiac and aortic surgery. They are thought to provide hemostasis and safely and effectively reduce morbidity. Complications owing to surgical glue remnants, however, have been reported. In our recent case, a surgical glue remnant was detected on the aortic valve by transesophageal echocardiography. For detection of such surgical glue remnants, and to prevent associated serious potential complications, comprehensive transesophageal echocardiography is important. If surgical glue is applied during operative procedures, the heart and aorta should be carefully examined by transesophageal echocardiography.

BioGlue-Associated Loss of Aortic Valve Leaflet Motility Sonographically Masked by Both Newly Replaced Mechanical Aortic and Mitral Valves

BioGlue is a surgical adhesive widely used to help reinforce complex cardiac and vascular repairs. Since its introduction, several case reports have emerged revealing complications that all providers should be mindful of whenever the product is used. This report considers a unique situation where BioGlue was used after double cardiac valve repair that resulted in adhesion of the new mechanical aortic valve leaflets and was difficult to visualize with transesophageal echocardiography.

Improved application technique of albumin-glutaraldehyde glue for repair of superficial lung defects

Background

Albumin-glutaraldehyde glue has gained widespread acceptance for treatment of alveolar air leaks (AAL) in thoracic surgery. As liquid run-off during application is detrimental to its sealing efficacy, we developed a modified technique and assessed it in vitro.

Methods

Caudal lobes of freshly excised swine lungs (n = 20) were intubated and ventilated. A standardized focal superficial parenchymal defect (40 × 25 mm) was created on the inflated lung. AAL was assessed under exposure to increasing inspired tidal volume (TVi). Lung lobes were randomly selected and subjected to either a standard sealing suggested by the manufacturer (control group) or a modified technique relying on placement of a square silicone frame around the lesion site (study group). AAL was subsequently assessed until burst failure occurred and the occuring lesions length was recorded on the inflated lung to evaluate elasticity of underlying tissue.

Results

Superficial parenchymal defects resulted in AAL increasing with ascending TVi. AAL prior to sealant application was comparable in both groups. An application error occurred once in our control group. At TVi = 400, 500, 600 and 700 ml, the albumin-glutaraldehyde glue achieved complete sealing in 10, 10, 9 and 8 lungs respectively in our study group, as opposed to 9, 7, 6 and 4 lobes in the control group. The required mean burst pressure was significantly higher in our study group (41.0 ± 1.0 vs. 37.5 ± 4.2 cmH₂O, p = 0.0195), but there was no difference in expansion of covered defect between both groups (1.0 ± 0.4 vs. 1.5 ± 1.7 mm, p = 0.3772).

Conclusions

Our tests suggest that frame-assisted sealant application might prevent glue run-off and thus improves its sealing efficacy. We encourage further investigation of this technique in well-designed, controlled clinical trials.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13019-016-0544-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.