Hemostatic Uses of Chitosan
The potential uses chitosan in different forms from powder and gels to foams to promote hemostasis is growing. Innovations are emerging from individual innovators, start-ups and established medical device companies. As a common food supplement the material is available at vitamin stores.
Examples
Medtronics' chitosan-dextran gel has been shown in animal studies to provide hemostasis (control of bleeding) and aid in wound-healing after Functional endoscopic sinus surgery FESS. Additionally, a human trial demonstrated that the chitosan-dextran gel resulted in rapid hemostasis immediately after FESS and fewer postoperative adhesions. More than 525,000 FESS procedures are performed annually in the US. The most common complications are bleeding and adhesions, which are scars that can form at the surgical site as sinus tissues heal after FESS. These adhesions can block the sinuses, potentially causing disease to recur and requiring additional surgery.