What are the dangers of glue (cyanoacrylate) as an embolization device?
Immediately before injecting Cyanoacrylate, the chemical sold as Superglue®, the physician will frequently mix it with an oil, like poppyseed oil. The proportions of glue and oil are approximated by the physician, based on your blood flow and other studies that should be performed before this injection. However, if the catheter used to inject the glue is inserted too deeply, or if the glue and oil mixture polymerizes more quickly than the doctor expected, the catheter could get stuck. (Polymerization is a chemical reaction where smaller molecules combine to form larger ones.) The glue will harden, so: • If the catheter is too deeply in, it will likely cause damage when it’s removed, if it can be removed at all. Then the glue could get stuck in the area being injected. • If the catheter is not in deeply enough, or if the glue and oil mixture polymerizes more slowly than the doctor expected, the mixture could spill onto the brain. It could back up through the catheter or spill in some ot
