Tummy Tucks Made Tidy With TissuGlu

Tummy tucks can result in fluid buildup if tissue flaps come loose post-operatively. Now, a new product promises to prevent this outcome.

A new sprayable surgical adhesive designed for tummy tuck patients allows surgeons to re-bind the loose tissue flaps created during a surgery. Created by Cohera Medical, the new TissuGlu may become a common and useful tool for plastic surgeons.

Patients who undergo a tummy tuck, also known as an abdominoplasty, often require drains that remove fluid from under their skin that builds up during the operation. This drainage is necessary because in some cases, open skin flaps can allow fluids to accumulate. And sometimes, the build-up becomes excessive enough to create a pocket of fluid, called a seroma, which can require extra surgery to treat. TissuGlu lets the surgeon to close those skin flaps before much fluid is able to gather. This can lead to the patient having a quicker and more comfortable recovery.

Reports of TissuGlu’s patent and creation surfaced in 2007, after two University of Pittsburgh doctors developed the product. From there, it entered pre-clinical trials. In 2008, an experiment on animals showed that TissuGlu did succeed in reducing or preventing fluid accumulation, and that it caused no harmful side effects or adverse reactions. The company announced last month that more than 40 patients will participate in its trials. These will include a comparison between this new adhesive and other wound-closing techniques.

Once it hits the market, this product may become a standard in many invasive operations.

“This trial will be our first study of TissuGlu in patients, and the trial’s approval validates the biocompatibility and pre-clinical profile of TissuGlu,” said Chad Coberly, Cohera’s vice-president of clinical, regulatory and legal affairs. “Initiation of this study will allow the company to move closer to a regulatory approval application in Europe for the CE Mark and application for a larger U.S. based trial.”

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