Uncontrolled bleeding during surgery can adversely affect patient outcomes, hospital costs and resources. Primary methods of hemostasis alone may be ineffective or impractical,10 and it is increasingly important that health care professionals are equipped with the right solutions to help achieve hemostasis efficiently. Ethicon, part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, announced that Surgicel Powder Absorbable Hemostat has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. With Surgicel Powder, surgeons will have a simple and predictable adjunctive hemostatic solution to control continuous oozing on broad or raw surfaces so they can focus on more important issues during surgery.

Comprised of oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) – the same base material found in all Surgicel products – this new powder version offers quick adjunctive hemostatic coverage with an easy-to-use applicator. Surgicel Powder penetrates through oozing blood to quickly stop bleeding at the source and forms clots that stay intact even when the surgical field is irrigated.

"This new and innovative approach to applying ORC, combined with the proven track record of the Surgicel brand, will give surgeons an ideal solution to control oozing bleeding on broad surfaces during surgeries," says Oray Boston, Worldwide vice president, Biosurgery Platform Leader at Ethicon.

For more than 55 years, Surgicel has consistently provided safe and effective adjunctive hemostasis, in combination with bioabsorbability and bactericidal properties. With this latest innovation, Ethicon is providing surgeons added handling and versatility in a wide range of surgical procedures. This launch will mark Ethicon as a strong competitor in the growing hemostatic powder market.