Management of peritoneal effusion by sealing with a self-assembling nanofiber polypeptide following pelvic surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIMS PuraMatrix is a synthetic material consisting of 16-amino acid peptides that self-assemble into nanofibers, previously used as a scaffold for functional cell cultures. We conducted a clinical study to determine the safety and sealing properties of PuraMatrix in post-operative lymphorrhea following pelvic surgery in humans. METHODOLOGY A total of 20 patients who underwent rectal cancer resection were analyzed. The study group (n = 10) consisted of patients who received PuraMatrix, matched with a control group (n = 10) of patients operated on conventionally. RESULTS During the 2 to 3 month follow-up period, there were no abnormal findings or adverse events in any the patients who received PuraMatrix. We found that the patients who received PuraMatrix had significantly reduced post-operative drainage volumes compared with the patients in the control group. CONCLUSIONS PuraMatrix is a safe and effective bio-compatible sealing material for the management of post-operative peritoneal effusion following pelvic surgery.