Control of bleeding in endoscopic sinus surgery: Use of a novel gelatin-based hemostatic agent

Objective: To determine whether FloSeal(R) Matrix Hemostatic Sealant is a safe and effective means of controlling bleeding post-endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and to assess postoperative heating. Design: Prospective clinical study. Setting: University of Toronto. Methods: Eighteen patients with FloSeal placed on a total of 30 operative sites post-ESS. Time to cessation of bleeding was assessed intra operatively. Patients had the operative sites assessed at 30 days postoperatively. Main Outcome Measures: Effectiveness of FloSeal in controlling bleeding and aiding in healing of the operative site. Results: HoSeal adequately controls postoperative bleeding in patients post-ESS. Healing was also nor adversely affected. Conclusions: HoSeal is a safe and effective treatment for controlling blood loss after FES. It may also provide support to the middle meatus as well as improve healing of the operative site compared with the use of traditional nasal packing. However, randomized clinical trials are needed to further evaluate this.