The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 11

12-A THE GALVESTON DAILY NEWS WEDNESDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 13,1993 News from Medicine Human glue MDs: Natural adhesive is suture of the future Associated Press MARIETTA, Ga. Imagine the surgeon at work demanding scalpel, forceps and a spray bottle of glue? That's no longer such a farfetched scenario. Little vials of freeze-dried body glue are already for sale in Europe. Researchers say the natural adhesive made from the blood proteins that cause clotting and scabbing is strong enough to hold skin grafts in place and seal wounds to keep blood in and bacteria out. "Having a spray bottle of glue in the operating room one day will save time and money and give the patient a better result," said Renato Saltz of the Medical College of Georgia, which sponsored a conference this past weekend for researchers from around the world to share their work on body glue.

"Anything that stops bleeding and forms a tight surface that's what the patient needs." Studies show patients patched up with body glue instead of stitches suffer less scarring and heal faster. Could save money And the glue could save money, since it biodegrades as the skin heals. Patients pay for the time it takes to stitch them up and remove the sutures. Scientists first tried to create biological glue in the 1940s, but it was 1974 before an Austrian doctor separated the useful proteins from blood, freeze dried them and mixed them into an adhesive. Now researchers are seeking ways to cleanse the glue of blood- born viruses, strengthen it, and mass produce it for the United States market.

"This has the potential to replace sutures and staples in many operations," said Brenda Morse, a scientist at CryoLife Inc. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently awarded Marietta-based CryoLife $500,000 to test a body glue that the company hopes to market in a few years. Comes in a syringe FibRx, resembling the rubbery caulking used to seal windows, would come in a syringe. Doctors would squeeze it out on a wound, but it wouldn't harden until exposed to ultraviolet light, leaving time to set the tissue.

The body glue now available in Europe isn't approved for use in this country because of concerns that the blood-based product could transmit disease. But researchers are testing a way to wash the blood proteins with a solution that kills any lurking viruses. And since American doctors say the glue needs to be strong enough to use in many different operations so it's practical to manufacture, researchers are working on ways to strengthen it. Collagen, the protein that makes skin elastic, appears to strengthen the material's stick, said David Sierra of Otagen Corp. in Palo Alto, Calif.

And doctors in New York are testing the adhesive with lasers, since heat appears to strengthen its bond. "I'm sure there is a biological glue that will work," Saltz said. "A lot of people are skeptical about it, but when we show them all it can do, we get their attention." TEXAS CITY EVENING OPTIMIST FUN RUN OCTOBEH 16,1993 I WILL PARTICIPATE IN: 1 MILE KIDDY RUN 7:45 a.m. 3 3 MILE 8:00 a.m. 6 MILE RUN 8:00 a.m.

AGE GROUPS: 13-19, 35-39, 50-54, OVER CHECK-IN TIME: 6:30 AT TOE NESSLER CENTER BEHIND Cmr HALL ON 5tk AYE. CITY, TX RETURN TO: T.C.E.O., P.O. BOX 3404, T.C, TX 77592 T-SHIRT SIZE AGE SEX FEES: S8.00 12 UNDER S12.00 SI5.00 LATE REG. (AFTER 10-9-93 RACE DAY) FOR INFO CALL: 713-337-1628 LARRY 409-938-8156 STEVE 713-244-5104 LOREN LAST NAME FIRST NAME MJ. ADDRESS CITY SLOT ZIP SIGNATURE OF RUNNER.

(PARENT OR GUARDIAN IF UNDER 13) CF MY BflW.I WAIVE ANY AND AIL OAftS FOR MYSEU- MY ADMMynUTORS AND MY HERS ACADGT ALL OfTOlUS, SKKSQRS CSlQWZJCn WS nj ami THSPflZf IStXVXUD CTJS SGiZD DfTSUIT OR BY EfTRAJfTS PARENT OR GUARDIAN. The Galveston County Chapter of Professional Secretaries International is sponsoring a Seminar "Beyond Technology" by Hazel Higgins CPS on Saturday, October 16,8 a.m. Noon Registration: for students To have a registration mailed or faxed to you, please contact Clara Smith at (409)744-3611 ext. 215,8 a.m.-5 p.m. Clear liquids now OK before surgery Associated Press WASHINGTON Doctors are now saying it's OK for people facing surgery to have a few sips of water or even a little black coffee before they go to the hospital.

Physicians attending the American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting here said Monday that enough studies have been done to warrant easing the absolute restriction against clear liquids before surgery. Hunger and thirst before surgery is a complaint of one-third to one-half of all patients, medical officials say. Even after automobile accidents, surgery is often postponed several hours if possible if a person has just eaten, doctors say. Medical authorities say solid food particles or stomach acids that back up from the stomach and enter the lungs while a patient is under anesthesia can produce serious, sometimes life- threatening, consequences, But liquids like water, apple juice and black coffee consumed up until two hours before surgery make little difference, said Dr. Robert Stoelting of the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.

"Many patients are addicted to caffeine. Not having that cup of coffee in the morning will make them extremely nervous before surgery when there is absolutely no risk (if they drink it)," said Dr. Paul White, professor of anesthesiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Doctors previously were taught to send patients home without surgery if they had so much as swallowed water while brushing their teeth. Evidence now shows that clear liquids actually help remove other foods from the system, said White.

'It's a message we haven't gotten out very well," said White. The food ban still stands, said Stoelting. Unlike clear liquids, which rapidly pass through the stomach, solid food may remain for several hours, he said. Food in the stomach can spill into the lungs and cause dangerous blockage in breathing tubes, he said. And pregnant or obese patients need to be especially careful.

Even clear liquids could pose a danger because they tend to have a slower gastric-emptying rate, Stoelting reported. AP Dr. Brenda Morris tests the strength of beef tissue she Joined with a biological glue at Cryolife Inc. in Marietta, last week. Doctors say the natural adhesive Is the way of the future to replace sutures and staples In many operations.

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Dr. Esther Jonas D.A.B.P.S. Board Certified in Foot Surgery CHALLENGE US TO KEEP YOU WALKING NO money down Payments as low as $25 a month Service and parts on all brands We service all brands of window units SERVICE oS ST. SOUTH The best way to get around Galveston is to walk, and the Gaiveston Foot Specialists will keep you in step. We are a group of understanding doctors utilizing the most modern techniques to diagnose and treat your foot problem, from an ingrown toenail to a bunion.

(409)948-6106 MAINLAND FOOT CARE Dr. D.P.M. 1225 North Logan, Suite 300, Texas City We are also trained in sports medicine, and can offer in-office and hospital-based surgery. So if you have a foot problem, no matter what it is, call the Galveston Foot Specialists today and receive a free initial office consultation. (409) 744-0098 GALVESTON FOOT SPECIALISTS Or.

Noglw. D.P.M., Df. Eiriwr Jtxwi 0PM 6213 Central City Gaiveston.