dvm360 Live!: How a structural hydrogel fits into everyday wound management

This episode is sponsored by NovaQuis Animal Health

On this segment of dvm360 Live!™, host and dvm360’s chief veterinary officer Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, welcomes Steve Mehler, DVM, DACVS, to discuss ScafiGen Advanced Structural Hydrogel and where it fits in open wound management.

Mehler explains that the product forms a conformable, 3-dimensional extracellular matrix that gives the wound physical stability and structural continuity while keeping the environment moist and maintaining tissue and surface apposition. Clinically, he says, that translates to better mature granulation tissue formation, which he calls key in open wound management. “Once you’ve got a nice granulation bed there, we have a wound that is now inherently resistant to infection,” Mehler said. The same apposition can help mitigate dead space, and he notes that many hydrogel products struggle to stay in place in deep, pocketing wounds, which is the gap ScafiGen is designed to fill.

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity

Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: Why is ScafiGen a better approach to wound management?

Steve Mehler, DVM, DACVS: Great question. There’s a technical answer and more clinically relevant one. Technically, you’ve got this conformable three-dimensional extracellular matrix that’s going to provide physical stability and structural continuity to the wound. You’ve got this hydrating framework that’s really going to reassure that we’ve got good tissue and surface apposition while providing a nice moisture-rich wound environment. What does that mean clinically? That means we’re going to get enhancement of mature granulation tissue formation, which is key in open wound management. Once you’ve got a nice granulation bed there, we have a wound that is now inherently resistant to infection.