VISTASEAL Fibrin Sealant to Quickly Stop Surgical Bleeds

Ethicon, a part of J&J, is releasing a new surgical fibrin sealant designed to be delivered much faster than existing options.

The VISTASEAL Fibrin Sealant helps to control unexpected bleeding thanks to its chemical composition and delivery mechanism, which work together to quickly get to the bleed site and achieve hemostasis faster.

VISTASEAL contains fibrinogen and thrombin, two clotting proteins that are naturally present in blood plasma. These help the material to produce clots quickly and with high reliability.

The product can be used during open procedures, and thanks to two optional extension tips it can also be applied to bleeds during minimally invasive surgical procedures.

“Surgical patients often present with multiple risk factors such as coagulopathies, uncontrolled diabetes, renal or liver failure or are taking anticoagulants or chronic antiplatelet therapies that may interfere with the body’s natural ability to form a clot, which increases the risk of surgical bleeding,” said David Kwon, MD, FACS, Director of Surgical Oncology, Henry Ford Hospital, in an Ethicon press release. “VISTASEAL has the potential to offer a rapid, adherent, durable clot even in my most demanding cases.”

The product was designed with the help of Grifols, a company in the blood plasma business, which developed the material that comes out of the tip. Ethicon licensed and incorporated it into a device that doesn’t require pressurized gas to push it out. Additionally, it can be kept within a pretty wide temperature range, so doesn’t require extremely careful handling.