Development and preclinical testing of a novel biodegradable hydrogel vaginal packing technology for gynecologic high-dose-rate brachytherapy.

Purpose: We evaluated the performance of a novel hydrogel-based strategy developed for clinical use as vaginal packing using phantoms and cadavers, and to compare the hydrogel to gauze and balloon packing.

Material And Methods: The biocompatible hydrogel is based on a thiol-Michael addition reaction, with delivery of reagents into the vaginal cavity using a custom-made system. Soft-cured cadavers were used for soft tissue-like mechanical properties.