Development of sealants will speed up move away from conventional sutures

New innovations in the medical adhesives sector will accelerate the move away from the use of sutures and staples.

Innovation of sealants as a drug delivery mechanism will be crucial to accelerating the shift that is occurring away from conventional sutures, strips and staples.

That is according to research by Frost & Sullivan, which claims that the need for reduced operating and postoperative times is facilitating a shift towards the use of adhesives and sealants.
However, it added that the development of new methods for applying tissue sealant and using it to administer drugs will not only speed up the shift away from sutures and staples, but also expand the scope for adhesive applications.

Looking at the North American market for medical adhesives and sealants alone, the analyst estimated that it was worth $85.2 million (£53.8 million) in 2011 - a figure that is expected to reach $182.6 million (£115.4 million)by 2018 thanks to a healthy compound annual growth rate of 11.5 per cent.
It attributes growth in sales to application-based products and the use of modified polymers, as well as a rising number of surgical procedures taking place.

Raghu Tantry, senior industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan, said: "While cardio surgery is expected to contribute significantly to the internal medicine sector's revenue growth, the well established dental adhesives and sealants segment will grow at a relatively slower pace."