Ethicon, part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, has announced the strategic regional launch of SURGICEL® POWDER ABSORBABLE HEMOSTAT in Australia, New Zealand, and Thailand. It is already available in Singapore and Hong Kong, and further launches are planned for later this year in Japan, Malaysia and India. This innovation is a powdered adjunctive hemostat that is designed to help surgeons control disruptive bleeding more efficiently. Disruptive bleeding occurs in more than 60% of open surgical proceduresi which drives up health care costs and is associated with high mortality rates. 

Although traditional methods of hemostasis benefit patients and reduce hospital costs, many can be ineffective at controlling disruptive bleeding efficiently.

SURGICEL Powder is designed to address continuous, broad-surface oozing and stop bleeding fast. It can easily be applied across broad surfaces making it well-suited for use in a wide range of surgeries, such as certain gynecologic, oncologic, cardiovascular and general procedures. 

The Advantages of SURGICEL Powder 

The risk of disruptive bleeding during surgery is increasing due to patient factors including a growing number of comorbidities like diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer; medications such as anticoagulants and antiplatelets; age and complex surgeries. A U.S. study of more than 1.6 million surgeries showed that almost 30% of patients experienced some kind of complication related to bleeding. That figure rises to more than 47% for cardiac surgeries.v SURGICEL Powder spreads across broad surfaces, gets right to the source of bleeding, and can stop bleeding fast in just 30 seconds.vi 

While adjunctive hemostats have many benefits, existing devices can be inefficient on broad surface oozing. SURGICEL Powder also provides added handling and versatility for a wide range of surgical procedures and delivery is more precise than the competition, so it can be less time consuming for surgeons and minimizes product waste.vii 

When bleeding is controlled, studies show that hospitals can save money, especially in procedures like cardiac revascularization and cardiac valve surgery, where a savings of $9,000 and $13,000 per procedure was seen, according to one study.viii Specifically, when adjunctive hemostats are used, up to 40% fewer patients require transfusion,ix-xvii a patient’s length of hospital stay is reduced by up to four days,6,xviii,xix and readmissions are significantly reduced.xx 

“In a region like Asia Pacific where the diversity of patients is vast, it’s imperative that we innovate technologies that consistently meet their unique needs,” said Alex Koulaouzos, APAC Franchise Director, Ethicon Biosurgery. “Through SURGICEL Powder, we have been able to combine our expert knowledge in science and technology to provide clinicians and patients with a better surgical experience and clinical outcome.” 

SURGICEL Powder may be used in a wide range of surgeries, particularly those where continuous broad-surface oozing is common, such as certain gynecologic, oncologic, cardiovascular and general procedures. SURGICEL Powder offers bactericidal activity in vitro, against all five of the hospital-acquired pathogens (MRSA, MRSE, VRE, PRSP, E Coli)xxi, is fully absorbable within 7 to 14 daysxxii and contains an aggregate of oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC) fiber fragments that help control capillary, venous, and small arterial hemorrhages. ORC is the same base material found in all SURGICEL® products. SURGICEL Powder has been designed to enable easy application across both open and laparoscopic proceduresxxiii, and the optional rigid tip allows for one handed use and easy powder delivery in minimally invasive proceduresxxiv. 

SURGICEL Powder is built on proven SURGICEL® Absorbable Hemostat technology and was recently named a “Gold Winner" in the “Drug-Delivery Devices and Combination Products” by the Medical Design Excellence Awards. The SURGICEL Family of Absorbable Hemostats is backed by more than 50 years of proven safety and efficacy.