Technique helps repair breastbones after open-heart surgery
A cardiac surgeon at the University of Calgary has developed a new surgical technique that speeds up recovery time, using glue to repair breastbones intentionally broken during open-heart surgery. According to Dr. Paul Fedak of Calgary’s Foothills Medical Centre, the procedure is “substantially less painful” for patients, who typically require weeks to heal and strong medication to deal with the pain. “We can now heal the breastbone in hours instead of weeks after open-heart surgery,” Fedak, who created the procedure, said in a statement. In a study of over 20 Calgary patients, people whose chests were glued back together could resume full physical activites within days, instead of the months it usually takes with wire stitches. Pain and discomfort were much reduced, and the use of pain-killers was reduced or eliminated. Fedak is now training Canadian and European surgeons on the procedure. The adhesive used is called “Kryptonite,” and is made by Connecticut-based Doctors Research Group Inc.