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Adhesive hydrogel may replace sutures for cataract surgery
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An adhesive hydrogel that is “painted” over corneal incisions after cataract surgery may offer faster, safer wound healing, a group of researchers said.
Mark W. Grinstaff, PhD, and colleagues at Duke University Medical Center have developed a transparent hydrogel material that act like a liquid bandage, according to a press release from the American Chemical Society.
The researchers made 3-mm incisions in 17 cadaver eyes to simulate cataract surgery. Seven eyes were left unrepaired, two were repaired with sutures and eight were repaired with the hydrogel sealant. The sealant “was potentially easier and much faster than the other procedures, without risking additional tissue damage, and was better at preventing fluid leakage from the eye,” according to the press release.
Other potential uses for the glue include sealing wounds associated with LASIK, corneal ulcers and corneal injuries, the press release said.
The National Institutes of Health provided funding for the study. These initial results are published in the Oct. 13 edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.