Plaster seals wounds faster than stitches

A HIGH-TECH patch that seals surgical wounds within seconds can prevent blood loss and the need for transfusions.

Known as the TissuePatch, it’s made from a type of plastic with a glue-like substance on one side which bonds to natural proteins on the wound surface and stops leakage of blood, fluid and air. It then dissolves.

Research last year by Barts Health NHS Trust and Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust, both in London, showed patients undergoing thyroid surgery who were treated with the TissuePatch had a faster recovery than expected. It is now being tested in brain and colon surgery.