Armentarium of topical hemostatic products in cardiovascular surgery: An update

Within Canada, 2.6 million in-hospital surgical procedures are completed annually. Significant bleeding following is the most common surgical complication, occurring in up to 25% of all surgeries. Bleeding causes increased mortality and morbidity, by increasing the number of transfusions required, secondary to increased cumulative blood loss, and by causing hemodynamic instability. A solution to this issue encountered during surgery is the use of hemostatic products. The objectives of this manuscript are (1) to review the spectrum of hemostatic products available in cardiovascular surgery and (2) to provide an update on new topical products soon available, or in development, for optimizing hemostasis during surgical procedures.