An off-the-shelf bioadhesive patch for sutureless repair of gastrointestinal defects

Surgical sealing and repair of injured and resected gastrointestinal (GI) organs are critical requirements for successful treatment and tissue healing. Despite being the standard of care, hand-sewn closure of GI defects using sutures faces limitations and challenges. In this work, we introduce an off-the-shelf bioadhesive GI patch capable of atraumatic, rapid, robust, and sutureless repair of GI defects. The GI patch integrates a nonadhesive top layer and a dry, bioadhesive bottom layer, resulting in a thin, flexible, transparent, and ready-to-use patch with tissue-matching mechanical properties. The rapid, robust, and sutureless sealing capability of the GI patch is systematically characterized using ex vivo porcine GI organ models. In vitro and in vivo rat models are used to evaluate the biocompatibility and degradability of the GI patch in comparison to commercially available tissue adhesives (Coseal and Histoacryl). To validate the GI patch’s efficacy, we demonstrate successful sutureless in vivo sealing and healing of GI defects in rat colon, stomach, and small intestine as well as in porcine colon injury models. The proposed GI patch provides a promising alternative to suture for repair of GI defects and offers potential clinical opportunities for the repair of other organs.