Scientists in the UAE have developed a biodegradable stent designed to cure gastric leaks that develop after surgery.
The 3D-printed device dissolves inside the body, so surgeons would not have to carry out an operation to remove it.
The biodegradable gastric stent, unveiled by researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi, is an improved version of a device they revealed earlier this year. It has been made with different materials that help it function better.
Dr Khalil Ramadi, an assistant professor of bioengineering at NYU Abu Dhabi, whose laboratory developed the stent, said the latest work showed how re-engineering medical devices with advanced manufacturing technologies could “fundamentally improve their performance”.
“By redesigning the internal architecture of the stent and introducing biodegradable materials, we have tried to tackle key limitations of current devices while moving towards treatments that we hope are more effective for patients,” he said.
The stents are often fitted to patients who suffer gastric leaks, a complication that occurs in a small percentage of those who undergo bariatric surgery.
This surgery reduces the stomach's capacity or bypasses most of the stomach, which helps patients lose weight because they feel full more quickly and therefore eat less.
If a leak develops after surgery, an abscess may form because fluid escapes from the stomach.
In response, doctors may fit a gastric stent across the site of the leak, sealing the leak to prevent the stomach contents from escaping and improving drainage through the stomach.
In a statement, NYU Abu Dhabi said that gastric leaks could require a patient to be hospitalised for a “prolonged” period.
Current stents, the university said, are designed for the bile duct, which takes bile from the liver and the gallbladder into the small intestine. As a result, they may not function well in the stomach.
Current gastric stents may drain slowly and slip, and multiple procedures may be needed before the leak is dealt with and can heal.
Parima Phowarasoontorn, a research assistant at NYU Abu Dhabi in Dr Ramadi’s laboratory, is the first author of a paper about the upgraded device. She said medical devices were often “adapted from other applications rather than designed for the specific clinical challenge they are intended to address”.
“By combining advanced 3D printing with biodegradable materials, we created a stent that improves drainage while reducing the burden of treatment for patients,” she added.
Typically, gastric stents must be removed about six weeks to three months after being fitted, meaning that another operation is needed.
The new device, designed with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, is called Bridge, an acronym that comes from the name Biodegradable aRchitected Internal DrainaGE.
Further research needed
The technology is not yet ready for use in patients, as further research is needed. However, the university said the researchers hoped that a range of in-body drainage devices could benefit from their engineering approach.
As reported recently, some UAE residents have undergone a pioneering minimally invasive weight-loss endoscopic procedure called a Moviva gastric mucosal ablation.
Targeting the upper part of the stomach, this operation destroys cells that make the “hunger hormone” ghrelin and so reduces food cravings.
Patients who previously underwent bariatric surgery reported significant weight loss after undergoing the new procedure.
