From the Preface Surgical tissue adhesives are an ancient idea, going back to the beginnings of recorded history. The concept of adhering, rather than suturing, packing, or stapling planes of tissue is attractive, in that it is fast-acting and assures complete closure. Numerous technologies have been tried; some with limited success, others outright failures. In short, the perfect adhesive does not exist. Limitations occur in a number of areas: strength, toxicity, degradation, and safety. It is also important to keep in mind that "one size fits all" does not apply to adhesives in surgical applications any more than it does in day-to-day application. As one would not use paper glue to seal a bathtub, one would presumably not apply an adhesive onto tendons, which is suitable for sealing corneas. The properties required of an adhesive for each indication are quite different. Over the last twenty-five years, advances have been made in a wide range of technologies targeting some embodiment of a practical and safe adhesive. Foremost and successful among these are cyanoacrylates, marine adhesive proteins, and fibrin-based sealants. Another promising adhesive technology is laser solders, a mixture of polypeptides and proteoglycans, which integrates with the repair site when laser energy is applied. In light of these advances in the field, the Symposium for Surgical Tissue Adhesives was organized and held at the Atlanta Hyatt from October 8-10, 1993. The goal was to bring together these far-flung technologies in a comprehensive and cohesive manner. Presentations by investigators from around the world described the history of adhesives in medicine, current technologies, laboratory characterizations, and application developments, as well as regulatory aspects and clinical applications. We felt that as many viewpoints as possible, however conflicting, were important to present in order to give the most complete picture of the state of the art of surgical adhesives.

As medical devices become more intricate, with an increasing number of components made from a wide range of materials, it is important that they meet stringent requirements to ensure that they are safe to be implanted and will not be rejected by the human body. Joining and assembly of medical materials and devices provides a comprehensive overview of joining techniques for a range of medical materials and applications.Part one provides an introduction to medical devices and joining methods with further specific chapters on microwelding methods in medical components and the effects of sterilization on medical materials and welded devices. Part two focuses on medical metals and includes chapters on the joining of shape memory alloys, platinum (Pt) alloys and stainless steel wires for implantable medical devices and evaluating the corrosion performance of metal medical device welds. Part three moves on to highlight the joining and assembly of medical plastics and discusses techniques including ultrasonic welding, transmission laser welding and radio frequency (RF)/dielectric welding. Finally, part four discusses the joining and assembly of biomaterial and tissue implants including metal-ceramic joining techniques for orthopaedic applications and tissue adhesives and sealants for surgical applications.Joining and assembly of medical materials and devices is a technical guide for engineers and researchers within the medical industry, professionals requiring an understanding of joining and assembly techniques in a medical setting, and academics interested in this field. - Introduces joining methods in medical applications including microwelding and considers the effects of sterilization on the resulting joints and devices - Considers the joining, assembly and corrosion performance of medical metals including shape memory alloys, platinum alloys and stainless steel wires - Considers the joining and assembly of medical plastics including multiple welding methods, bonding strategies and adhesives

Surgical tissue adhesives are an ancient idea, going back to the beginnings of recorded history. The concept of adhering, rather than suturing, packing, or stapling planes of tissue is attractive, in that it is fast-acting and assures complete closure. Numerous technologies have been tried; some with limited success, others outright failures. In short, the perfect adhesive does not exist. Limitations occur in a number of areas: strength, toxicity, degradation, and safety. It is also important to keep in mind that "one size fits all" does not apply to adhesives in surgical applications any more than it does in day-to-day application. As one would not use paper glue to seal a bathtub, one would presumably not apply an adhesive onto tendons, which is suitable for sealing corneas. The properties required of an adhesive for each indication are quite different. Over the last twenty-five years, advances have been made in a wide range of technologies targeting some embodiment of a practical and safe adhesive. Foremost and successful among these are cyanoacrylates, marine adhesive proteins, and fibrin-based sealants. Another promising adhesive technology is laser solders, a mixture of polypeptides and proteoglycans, which integrates with the repair site when laser energy is applied. In light of these advances in the field, the Symposium for Surgical Tissue Adhesives was organized and held at the Atlanta Hyatt from October 8-10, 1993. The goal was to bring together these far-flung technologies in a comprehensive and cohesive manner. Presentations by investigators from around the world described the history of adhesives in medicine, current technologies, laboratory characterizations, and application developments, as well as regulatory aspects and clinical applications. We felt that as many viewpoints as possible, however conflicting, were important to present in order to give the most complete picture of the state of the art of surgical adhesives.

Surgical tissue adhesives are an ancient idea, going back to the beginnings of recorded history. The concept of adhering, rather than suturing, packing, or stapling planes of tissue is attractive, in that it is fast-acting and assures complete closure. Numerous technologies have been tried; some with limited success, others outright failures. In short, the perfect adhesive does not exist. Limitations occur in a number of areas: strength, toxicity, degradation, and safety. It is also important to keep in mind that "one size fits all" does not apply to adhesives in surgical applications any more than it does in day-to-day application. As one would not use paper glue to seal a bathtub, one would presumably not apply an adhesive onto tendons, which is suitable for sealing corneas. The properties required of an adhesive for each indication are quite different. Over the last twenty-five years, advances have been made in a wide range of technologies targeting some embodiment of a practical and safe adhesive. Foremost and successful among these are cyanoacrylates, marine adhesive proteins, and fibrin-based sealants. Another promising adhesive technology is laser solders, a mixture of polypeptides and proteoglycans, which integrates with the repair site when laser energy is applied. In light of these advances in the field, the Symposium for Surgical Tissue Adhesives was organized and held at the Atlanta Hyatt from October 8-10, 1993. The goal was to bring together these far-flung technologies in a comprehensive and cohesive manner. Presentations by investigators from around the world described the history of adhesives in medicine, current technologies, laboratory characterizations, and application developments, as well as regulatory aspects and clinical applications. We felt that as many viewpoints as possible, however conflicting, were important to present in order to give the most complete picture of the state of the art of surgical adhesives.

Green Adhesives: Preparation, Properties and Applications deals with the fabrication methods, characterization, and applications of green adhesives. It also includes the collective properties of waterborne, bio, and wound-healing green adhesives. Exclusive attention is devoted to discussing the applications of green adhesives in biomedical coatings, food, and industrial applications.

Biomaterials for Surgical Operation offers a review of the latest advances made in developing bioabsorbable devices for surgical operations which include surgical adhesives (sealants), barriers for the prevention of tissue adhesion, polymers for fractured bone fixation, growth factors for the promotion of wound healing, and sutures. Over the years, many descriptions of biomaterials have appeared in academic journals and books, but most of them have been devoted to limited clinical areas. This is in marked contrast with this volume which covers a wide range of bioabsorbable devices used in surgery from a practical point of view. The currently applied polymeric devices are critical in surgery, but all involve serious problems due to their poor performance. For instance, fibrin glue, the most widely used surgical sealant, can produce only a weak gel with low adhesive strength to tissues, accentuating the limited effectiveness of current treatment options. Likewise, the currently available barrier membranes cannot fully prevent tissue adhesion at the acceptable level and are, moreover, not easy to handle with endoscopes due to their poor mechanical properties. Biomaterials for Surgical Operation is aimed at those who are interested in expanding their knowledge of how the problems associated with the currently used devices for surgical operation can be solved. It primarily focuses on the absorbable biomaterials which are the main components of these medical devices.

This textbook provides a succinct overview of cardiac surgery, with key concepts being emphasized throughout. An abundance of illustrations, intra-operative photographs, tables as well as information boxes, aids the reader to visualise, grasp and retain difficult concepts. The inclusion of evidence-based approaches to the management of a range of cardiac surgical conditions equips the reader with an understanding of how to overcome a variety of potentially tough clinical challenges. Concise Cardiac Surgery: A Complete Guide comprehensively covers a range of techniques used in cardiac surgery. It is therefore, an ideal resource for the trainee and practising cardiac surgeon seeking a practically focused text detailing how to apply the latest techniques and evidence-based approaches in their day-to-day practice.