Fibrin glue, sutures show similar stability after pterygium surgery

Br J Ophthalmol. DOI: 10.1136/bjo.2008.145516.

Conjunctival grafts secured with fibrin glue during pterygium surgery are as stable as those secured with sutures, a clinical trial has found.

The fibrin glue grafts (Tisseel, Baxter) also produced significantly less inflammation.

This prospective observer-masked study enrolled 40 eyes of 40 patients undergoing primary pterygium surgery with conjunctival autograft using fibrin glue or 10-0 polyglactin sutures. One surgeon performed all procedures for the fibrin glue group and another surgeon performed all procedures for the suture group, with both surgeons using a standardized technique for all steps until the point at which the graft was secured.

At 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months of postoperative follow-up, subconjunctival hemorrhage, inflammation and graft stability were compared. Graft stability was the same for fibrin glue and sutures over the course of follow-up. There was no significant difference in subconjunctival hemorrhage between the two groups at any time point. However, at 1 month and 3 months postoperatively, the fibrin glue group had significantly less inflammation (P = .019 and P = .001, respectively).

"We believe that reducing the postoperative inflammation may play a significant role in reducing the recurrence rate," the study authors said.