A randomized comparison of an adhesive gelatin sponge and a plain collagen sponge for hemostatic control during canine liver surgery.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of a modified surface gelatin sponge to a plain collagen sponge for hemostasis of parenchymal hepatic bleeding.

Study Design: Prospective, randomized trial of two hemostatic agents.

Animals: A total of 45 dogs undergoing elective liver surgery were randomly allocated into two groups: 22 in the adhesive gelatin (AG) group and 23 in the plain collagen (PC) group. A total of 20 patients per group underwent liver biopsy to create a uniformly sized bleeding surface, with the remaining patients (AG = 2, PC = 3) undergoing liver lobectomy.

Methods: Evaluation of hemostatic effectiveness and tissue adhesion of each sponge type was performed by the operating surgeon using structured scoring systems. Hemostatic parameters were primarily evaluated at the liver biopsy site to maintain homogeneity of bleeding surface size.

Results: For the liver biopsy group (n = 40), 5 min after hemostatic sponge application, 10/20 dogs were bleeding in the PC group, compared to 2/20 in AG group (p = .0138). The PC bleeding was significantly higher than AG across the 3 to 6 min evaluation period (p < .001). When surgeons tested the adhesion of the sponge across the whole cohort (n = 45), AG scored 2 (of 3) against 1 for PC (p < .001). In group PC, 5/23 sponges dislodged during abdominal lavage and preparations for closure and had to be replaced due to recurrence of bleeding, compared with no AG sponges dislodging (p = .042). There were no further complications related to the use of either sponge.

Conclusion: In the dogs with hepatic parenchymal incision, use of an adhesive gelatin sponge improved intraoperative attachment and haemostatic effectiveness, compared to a collagen sponge.

Clinical Significance: Based on our clinical experience in these cases, adhesive gelatin sponges could be considered an effective option when selecting a hemostatic agent for liver surgery in dogs.