Methods are provided that include applying to a surgical field in the patient following a lymphadenectomy or other procedure in which a lymph node or lymphatic vessel is dissected, a bioresorbable and biocompatible material in an amount effective to control oozing of lymphatic fluid. The material may be a hydrophilic polysaccharide material which, in contact with tissues in the surgical field, produces a gelled matrix that adheres to and forms a mechanical barrier with tissues in the surgical field to control oozing of lymphatic fluid. The hydrophilic polysaccharide material may include a modified starch such as a cross-linked carboxymethyl polysaccharide.
