Approval of the first absorbable fibrin sealant patch for use during cardiovascular surgery was announced on Monday by U. S. Food and Drug Administration.

The TachoSIl blood-clotting patch, which is eventually absorbed by the body, is used to prevent mild and moderate bleeding from small blood vessels when other standard surgical techniques are ineffective or impractical, the FDA said.

The FDA said in a statement, "TachoSil is a ready-to-use surgical patch composed of a dry collagen sponge made from horse tendons, and coated with fibrinogen and thrombin. At the site of a wound, the two proteins, through a series of chemical reactions, produce fibrin, a stringy, white, insoluble protein that allows a clot to form."

The patch is biodegradable and breaks down inside the body within four to six months.

Nycomed Austria GmbH of Linz, Austria is the manufacturer of TachoSil. (With Inputs from Agencies)