European Initial Hands-On Experience with HEMOPATCH, a Novel Sealing Hemostatic Patch: Application in General, Gastrointestinal, Biliopancreatic, Cardiac, and Urologic Surgery

Topical hemostatic agents that can seal tissues and assist in the coagulation cascade of patients undergoing surgery have been readily available for several decades. Using either synthetic or animal/plant-derived materials, these agents represent a powerful tool to reduce postoperative bleeding complications in cases where mechanical or energy-driven hemostasis is not possible or insufficient. Recently, a novel sealing hemostatic patch, HEMOPATCH (Baxter International, Deerfield, IL), was developed. The device is a thin and flexible patch consisting of a specifically-formulated porous collagen matrix, coated on one side with a thin protein-binding layer. This gives the patch a dual mechanism of action, in which the two components interact to achieve hemostasis by sealing off the bleeding surface and initiating the body's own clotting mechanisms. Here we present a series of case reports that outline the quick, effective hemostatic sealing of HEMOPATCH in a variety of clinical applications, including solid organ, gastrointestinal, biliopancreatic, endocrine, cardiovascular, and urologic surgeries. Essentially a feasibility study, these reports demonstrate how HEMOPATCH can be applied to seal almost any bleeding surface encountered during a range of procedures. Our results show that the device is eminently capable in both via laparotomy and laparoscopic approaches, and in patients with impaired coagulation or highly variable anatomies. In conclusion, our cases document the ease-of-use, application, and immediate hemostatic effect of the patch across a broad range of surgical settings and paves the way for future randomized clinical trials with more extensive follow-up.