Thaindian News

Sydney, March 2 (IANS) A ground-breaking gel for healing wounds after sinus surgery has been developed by scientists from New Zealand.

The gel could potentially lead to a reduction in the number of complications which frequently occur following sinus surgery.

Derived from a polymer named chitosan extracted from crab-shell and squid, the gel has undergone successful sheep and human trials over the past four years, according to a University of Otago statement.

Work began on the project five years ago after ENT surgeon Simon Robinson challenged his father Brian Robinson, professor in chemistry at Otago, to come up with a compound to help counter post-operative complications.

Simon says the ‘adhesions’ or scarring can block sinus passages, often requiring further surgery to correct. This affects roughly one-third of all sinus-related operations.

He says the new gel is inserted into the nasal passage and forms a coating over the wound so that adhesions cannot form, and it also helps to stop bleeding with its superior blood clotting properties.

“From a physician’s point of view, the big thing is that it reduces the amount of bleeding the patient will experience without negative side effects - it ticks all the boxes,” Simon says.

According to researchers, the new gel has the potential to assist in some half a million endoscopic sinus operations to relieve sinusitis performed each year in the US alone. In New Zealand, the figure is several thousand.

Professors Robinson, Lyall Hanton, Jim Simpson and a team of Otago researchers were part of the original team which began looking at how to exploit the properties of chitosan for use in surgery.

The Otago group initially found a way of making the chitosan water soluble. Zheng Shi in the group then made a critical discovery that by using a starch-like chemical with the chitosan, they could produce a new type of natural biomedical gel.