THE EFFECT OF FIBRIN SEALANT SPRAYING ON PROLONGED AIR LEAK AFTER PULMONARY RESECTIONS: A SINGLE CENTER EXPERIENCE

ULAŞ KUMBASAR, YİGİT YILMAZ, MESUT MELİH ÖZERCAN, BURCU ANCIN, ERKAN DİKMEN, RIZA DOĞAN

Current Thoracic Surgery - 2017;2(3):81-84

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

 

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of fibrin sealant spraying on postoperative air leak in patients undergoing pulmonary resection for non-small cell lung cancer Materials and Methods: Data of twenty-two patients who had undergone pulmonary resection (fibrin sealant group) were compared with a matched control cohort of nineteen patients (control group) retrospectively. Results: Prolonged air leak was seen in fewer patients (n = 2; 10.5%) in fibrin sealant group compared to the control group (n = 4; 18.2%; p = 0.668). Apical chest tube removal time was also lower in fibrin sealant group (3 vs. 4 days; p= 0.01). Postoperative basal drain removal time, total chest tube drainage amount and intensive care unit stay time were similar between the groups (p = 0.945, p = 0.895 and p = 0.452, respectively). Conclusions: Fibrin sealant application cannot replace an exact and precise surgical technique. However, they may be helpful particularly in small air leakages when the air leakage cannot be assured by routine surgical methods.