Fibrin glue use during pterygium surgery reduces complications and discomfort

Pterygium surgery patients randomly assigned to the use of fibrin glue to attach the conjunctival autograft reported significantly less postoperative discomfort and experienced significantly fewer pterygium recurrences after one year compared with patients assigned to receive sutures. Additionally, duration of surgery with fibrin glue (Tisseel VH, Baxter AG) was significantly shorter than with sutures (15.7 versus 32.5 minutes).

Twenty-five primary pterygium patients (25 eyes) underwent surgery with the use of fibrin glue and 25 patients (25 eyes) with 8-0 Vicryl sutures. At the close of surgery, each eye was treated with topical antibiotic ointment and covered with an eye pad for 10 days. Patients completed questionnaires on their level of pain, foreign body sensation, irritation and epiphora graded on a five-point scale during the first month's postop visits.

Symptoms of discomfort disappeared in the suture group after suture removal on day 10. Partial graft dehiscence was noted in two fibrin glue patients on day 10. The grafts were subsequently reattached with fibrin glue and no further complications occurred. Pterygium recurred in one fibrin glue patient and three suture patients during the study's 12-month follow-up period.