BACKGROUND Synthetic vascular material use, particularly PTFE-based, can be associated with bleeding, which may increase operative time and blood loss. None of the commercially available sealants designed to ensure hemostasis combine bioresorption, high viscosity, hydrophobicity, and compliance with the underlying tissue and on-demand activation. METHODS AND OBJECTIVES A study was designed to assess the biocompatibility and in-vivo performance and bioresorption of a new synthetic on-demand light-activated poly (glycerol sebacate) acrylate (PGSA) based SETALIUMTM VASCULAR SEALANT in three large animal studies of open vascular carotid and aortic surgery. The pre-clinical results were then translated into a clinical setting in a prospective, single-arm multicenter study in patients requiring carotid endarterectomy using an ePTFE patch. RESULTS The biocompatibility testing showed that the PGSA-based SETALIUMTM VASCULAR SEALANT did not induce any significant toxic reaction at a standard clinical dose nor at doses up to 40 times the equivalent intended clinical dose. The PGSA-based sealant was shown to be non-pyrogenic, non-sensitizing, non-irritant, non-clastogenic, and non-mutagenic. The animal studies showed excellent performance and safety results, with clinically significant hemostasis achieved in 100% of the animals in both carotid and aorta studies and excellent local tolerance. Histopathology and morphometric analyses showed surface-based gradual and sustained bioresorption of the PGSA-based sealant up to 86% at 12 months. In the clinical study, the application of the PGSA-based sealant resulted in good performance and safety, with immediate hemostasis achieved in 84% of the cases and no adverse event related to the sealant reported through the 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS The new synthetic on-demand light activated PGSA-based SETALIUMTM VASCULAR SEALANT investigated in our studies demonstrated good biocompatibility, sustained and gradual surface based bioresorption, and acceptable safety profile in animal studies. In addition, the first in-human use showed that the sealant is a safe and effective alternative to achieve fast and controlled hemostasis in vascular carotid reconstructions. A larger randomized controlled study will allow further validation of these encouraging preliminary results.
Preclinical and clinical evaluation of a novel synthetic bioresorbable, on demand light activated sealant in vascular reconstruction.