Tiny shapeshifting stickers detect post-surgery complications
25Innovative biocompatible stickers can now be placed on human organs during surgery, to monitor recovery.
Developed by researchers led by Northwestern University and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the soft sticker adapts its shape in response to any changes in the body's pH levels, once attached to an organ. As this shift is an early indication of post-surgery complications, the method allows clinicians to monitor the health of patients' deep tissues in real time, using ultrasound. Once the patient has fully recovered, the stickers simply dissolve within the body, with no need for surgical removal.
Among other conditions, these stickers could help the early detection of anastomotic leaks — a life-threatening complication in which gastrointestinal fluids escape the digestive system.
The new piece of medical tech is a promising innovation for monitoring post-surgical complications.
"Right now, there is no good way whatsoever to detect these kinds of leaks," said gastrointestinal surgeon Dr. Chet Hammill in a press statement. Hammill led the clinical evaluation and animal model studies at Washington University, together with Dr. Matthew MacEwan, an assistant professor of neurosurgery.
"The majority of operations in the abdomen — when you have to remove something and sew it back together — carry a risk of leaking," added Hammill. "We can’t fully prevent those complications, but maybe we can catch them earlier to minimize harm. Even if we could detect a leak 24- or 48-hours earlier, we could catch complications before the patient becomes really sick. This new technology has potential to completely change the way we monitor patients after surgery."
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