Scientists believe that “superglue” will revolutionize open-heart surgery
TORONTO .- Canadian researchers said a new surgical “superglue”, called Kryptonite and used to weld the sternum, will revolutionize the recovery of patients who have had open chest surgery.
The research results were unveiled today at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress (CCC), which began yesterday in Montreal with the assistance of almost 4,000 delegates.
Kryptonite (which takes its name from an alleged mineral that weakens Superman’s powers in the popular comic of the same name) has been developed by researchers at the Canadian city of Calgary.
Said Dr. Paul Fedak, a heart surgeon at Foothills Hospital in Calgary Medical Centre, the “superglue” has properties similar to natural bone and allows the growth of new bone. ”
So far the sternum was closed with steel wire which remains in the chest after thoracotomy, open chest surgery to access the heart. The use of Kryptonite could benefit 1.4 million people each year who are subjected to thoracotomies worldwide.
The spokesman for the Heart Disease Foundation of Canada, organized by the CCC, Dr. Beth Abramson, said through a statement that “this procedure will potentially revolutionize surgical recovery around the world.”
Fedak said that “one of the most common complaints among patients is the pain of the sternum after heart surgery. With this alternative procedure, in hours instead of weeks, there is a significant recovery.”
According to results released in Montreal, sternum treated with Kryptonite solidifies within a few hours of operation, reducing by half the recovery time, which is normally eight weeks.
Among the benefits associated with the use of Kryptonite, compared with the use of steel wire, the researchers said there is an increase of 5 to 10 times in the mechanical strength of the sternum, pain reduction, and improved breathing and the overall life quality of patients.
Fedak said that Kryptonite has been used in over 500 patients in the U.S. and Canada, and is now going to start clinical trials in 15 U.S. and 3 Canadian hospitals.