Thin drug-releasing stitches to prevent clots after microsurgery
Ultra-thin, high strength, drug-eluting sutures for prevention of thrombosis in microvascular surgery
This project tries thin, strong stitches that slowly release anti-clot medicine to help people having microsurgeries like tissue transfers or reattachments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11158877 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would hear about this as a new kind of suture that carries a small, local dose of blood‑thinning medicine right where tiny vessels are sewn together. The team is designing ultra‑thin, high‑strength threads that release drug over time while keeping the strength surgeons need. They will test the materials and drug release in the lab and in animal models to study safety and whether the sutures reduce clotting at the anastomosis. The goal is a solution that fits current surgical techniques and could move to human trials if preclinical results look promising.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people scheduled for microvascular procedures such as free tissue transfer (free flaps) or replantation of amputated parts.
Not a fit: Patients not undergoing microvascular anastomosis—such as those having only superficial skin surgery—or people with active bleeding disorders or on systemic anticoagulation may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these sutures could lower the risk of clot-related free flap failure, cut down on re-operations, and improve functional and cosmetic outcomes after microsurgery.
How similar studies have performed: Local drug delivery is used in other devices and drug-coated sutures have been studied for infection control, but applying drug-eluting sutures specifically to prevent microvascular thrombosis is relatively new with limited human data.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Parikh, Kunal Sailesh — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Parikh, Kunal Sailesh
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.