Cohera Medical, a medical device startup backed by $50 million from private equity giant KKR which recently relocated to Raleigh, has launched a clinical trial of a proposed surgical sealant product.

Cohera is best known for its TissuGlu Surgical Adhesive “tummytuck” sealant that doesn’t require a tissue drain.

The company says TissuGlu “helps elevate your tummy tuck experience,” noting the product “is the first surgical adhesive of its kind, combining strength and safety to give you the advantage of a drain-free tummy tuck.” The adhesive “breaks down into harmless components and is eliminated from the body,” Cohera notes.

The new trial is for Sylys Surgical Sealant. which Cohera describes as a “resorbable synthetic sealant.” Cohera hopes the sealant will provide assistance to patients who undergo colorectal surgery. According to the company, some 23 percent of colorectal surgery patients suffer from leakage after surgery.

“At least one third of post-surgical deaths following colorectal surgery are attributed to leaks, and survivors generally have protracted and expensive recoveries,” the company noted.

More than 1 million such surgeries take place worldwide each year, and Cohera described the market for the sealant as a “multi-billion dollar opportunity.”

The company announced Tuesday that the first patient has been signed up for the trial.

Cohera moved to Raleigh from Pittsburgh last year.

“We chose Raleigh because it is a top destination for medical device and biotech companies and because we forecast more growth for the company,” Cohera CEO Patrick Daly said in a prepared statement last year. “We chose downtown Raleigh because it’s growing, and we have a young, dynamic workforce that we know will thrive on the energy and variety of entertainment and restaurants that downtown provides.”