PREVIEW

A revolutionary sticker may soon be instrumental in saving the lives of patients recovering from gastrointestinal surgery.

The first-of-its-kind device is designed to detect the presence of leaking digestive fluids sooner than otherwise possible.

When surgeons close up an incision in an organ such as the stomach, intestine or pancreas, there's always a risk that digestive fluids will start leaking out of the wound before it fully heals.

When attached to an organ, the soft, tiny sticker changes in shape in response to the body’s changing pH levels, which can serve as an early warning sign for post-surgery complications such as anastomotic leaks.

Clinicians can then monitor the morphological changes in real-time using ultrasound technology.

Currently, no existing methods can reliably and non-invasively detect anastomotic leaks - a life-threatening condition that occurs when gastrointestinal fluids escape the digestive system.

After the patient's complete recovery, the biocompatible and bioresorbable sticker dissolves on its own, eliminating the need for surgical removal.

The research, a collaboration between Northwestern University and the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, conducted assessments on both small and large animal models. It aimed to confirm the efficacy of three distinct hydrogel-based stickers in identifying anastomotic leaks originating from the stomach, small intestine, and pancreas.

John A. Rogers of Northwestern, who spearheaded the device's development alongside postdoctoral fellow Jiaqi Liu, explained, "Leaks often result from minute perforations in the tissue, sometimes as tiny, invisible separations at the surgical site."

He added, "Such defects are undetectable through direct ultrasound and evade even the most advanced CT and MRI scans. Our engineering solution and innovative materials cater to this gap in patient monitoring, offering the potential to mitigate risks, lower expenses, and broaden the accessibility of swift, non-invasive evaluations for better patient care."

"There's currently no effective method to detect such leaks," noted gastrointestinal surgeon Dr. Chet Hammill of Washington University, who, with Dr. Matthew MacEwan, an assistant professor of neurosurgery, conducted the clinical and animal studies. "Most abdominal surgeries involve resection and reconnection, posing a leakage risk. While we can't completely avert these issues, early detection could substantially reduce harm. Detecting a leak even 24 to 48 hours sooner could prevent severe complications. This technology could fundamentally transform post-operative patient monitoring."