Assessment of fibrin glue in pterygium surgery

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of fibrin glue in pterygium surgery with conjunctival autografting.

This was a prospective noncomparative case series. Patients were recruited from the general clinics for pterygium surgery. For pterygium surgery, autologous conjunctiva was harvested from the superior bulbar conjunctiva after pterygium excision. The graft was secured to bare sclera at the site of the pterygium by Tisseel fibrin adhesive. Patients were followed up with a standard form. Key parameters included visual acuity, graft integrity, and graft size. The rate of pterygium recurrence was monitored.

A total of 24 patients were recruited, and 29 pterygia were excised with conjunctival grafting. All conjunctival grafts were secured adequately with no cases of dislodgement. Graft dimensions tended to decrease slightly in the early postoperative period, followed by stabilization. There were no cases of serious adverse events and no reduction in visual acuity. One pterygium recurrence occurred at 3 months. One spontaneous subgraft hemorrhage occurred with no effect on graft stability.

Tisseel fibrin glue provided adequate adhesion of conjunctival grafts to the ocular surface. Healing was characterized by a comfortable eye, minimal inflammation, and good cosmetic result. There were no significant complications and the results appeared similar to those reported in the literature for sutured grafts.