Endovascular occlusion by electroactive hydrogels: the era of the “go happy” cauterization is coming to an end

Vascular bleeding is currently resolved through invasive surgical repair or cauterization. An alternative is endovascular embolization, a procedure that uses a catheter to inject a material through the target vessel, which lacks refined precision to reach the target. No one procedure is ideal, but, based on surgeon preference, they represent the current state of the art. What if there was another way, a way that could save the vessel from these invasive techniques and ensure precision in reaching the target location? An investigational electroactive hydrogel was developed by a group of scientists and clinicians at Universities of Leuven and Ghent to achieve a non-invasive endovascular repair [occlusion]. Their effort is part of a larger drive towards developing electroactive polymers for treatment of cardiovascular disorders, supported through the effort of the European Union Seventh Framework Program [Heart-e-Gel Project].