Surgical sealants must be very flexible to move with the tissue.

This is especially important with e.g. lungs as the sealant might be applied when the lung is deflated. Unfortunately most compounds have an inverse relationship between strength and elasticity. Comparative tests have shown Vivostat® Fibrin to be extremely flexible, almost four times as flexible as competing products, without compromising strength.

A high level of elasticity is particularly important for surgical procedures involving tissue that undergoes continual expansion or contraction such as the heart and lungs.

The graph below shows the elongation at break (mm) for Vivostat® compared with two conventional fibrin sealants after 20 seconds.

Comparative kinetics of polymerisation of three fibrin sealants and influence on timing of tissue adhesion · Kjaergard H K et al. · Thrombosis Research 2000; 98: 221-228