Cyanoacrylate – the chemical name for 'superglue' – was first

discovered by a team of scientists in 1942 working at US-based

company BF Goodrich, led by Harry Coover. It was an accidental

discovery, as they were testing various compounds to use in the

manufacture of a clear gunsight, one of which was cyanoacrylate,

which although not suitable for the gunsight was noted as having

strong adhesive properties.

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The same team later worked at Kodak, where they continued

working on cyanoacrylate, with the first superglue marketed in

1958 and called 'Eastman 910'. A few years later the product was sold to Loctite who sell superglue today.

Although used widely by consumers and industry, it wasn't until the Vietnam War that superglue was used for medical purposes, specifically to prevent severe blood loss from open wounds on the battlefield. Superglue was credited with saving many soldiers' lives during the conflict.

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Since then, medical superglue use has expanded considerably and is now used to fix many wounds types (it is considered comparable to sutures in effectiveness for wound closure) as well as in bone fixation (orthopaedics), where it also regarded as an alternative to plate and screw fixation, especially for injuries to the bones of the skull and face.

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It is really only in the last eight years or so that medical superglue has been used in the treatment of vascular conditions, especially Varicose Veins. In 2012 a trial of the use of medical superglue to treat varicose veins at Charing Cross Hospital in London showed very good results, both in terms of patient outcomes as well as the relative convenience of the procedure.

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Compared with the standard treatments at that time which required an operation under a relatively high local anaesthetic dose and a lengthy recovery period, the new treatment was able to be completed in around 20 minutes under a light local anaesthetic and without the need for the patient to wear compression stockings afterwards, and able to walk out almost immediately after treatment.

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This is still the case with medical superglue treatment for varicose veins today, and since its introduction studies have confirmed the efficacy of the treatment, with studies showing anything between a 92%(1) and 98.9%(2) success rate.

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Medical superglue is a slightly different formulation of the original cyanoacrylate, which is carefully introduced into the affected vein via a catheter (a thin plastic tube). The superglue then hardens in situ.

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As with all treatments that seal Varicose Veins (sometimes referred to as 'incompetent' veins), blood then flows through alternative, healthy, veins in the leg.

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