Results: Researchers developed a heat-sensitive polymer that allows surgeons to prop open a severed blood vessel so they can glue its ends together, avoiding the need for sutures. In tests in rats, the procedure worked in vessels smaller than half a millimeter in diameter, where traditional sutures failed. The technique was also faster than sewing and resulted in less scarring and inflammation. WHY IT MATTERS: The gel could aid in delicate surgeries and make it easier to repair blood vessels that are small or difficult to access, particularly in infants. It may also prove useful for minimally invasive surgeries, in which surgeons have little room to maneuver and suturing is particularly difficult. METHODS: The researchers altered the chemical properties of a medically approved polymer so that it is liquid at body temperature but solidifies at a few degrees higher. They heated the area around severed vessels in rats and used the solid polymer to hold the ends open. The open ends were then reconnected with surgical glue. When the area cooled back to body temperature, the polymer melted and dissolved into the bloodstream.
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