MONDAY, Jan. 28, 2002 (HealthDayNews) -- With apologies to Elmer the Bull and Elsie the Cow, the U.S. government has approved a new glue that uses a bovine substance to help seal leaks around stitches from operations.
Its name is BioGlue® Surgical Adhesive, manufactured by CryoLife Inc., and it's made from a bovine serum albumin (a cow protein) and a chemical called glutaraldehyde.
BioGlue got its first FDA approval two years ago as a sealant for major chest surgery. This time, however, the sealant has been given the nod for all types of surgery that involve stitching large blood vessels like the aorta or a carotid artery. It can also be used to repair and seal plastic arteries.
Clinical trials demonstrated a 22 percent improvement in stemming bleeding from sutures for patients who had BioGlue applied.
Here is the FDA Medical Devices Approval Site, which announced the decision last month.
And if you're interested in other health and medical research being done by CryoLife, here is the company's home page.
