Laser-cured fibrinogen glue to repair bleb leaks in rabbits.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether laser-cured fibrinogen glue can close bleb leaks in rabbits.


METHODS
Full-thickness filtration surgery with intraoperative mitomycin and a sutured limbus-based conjunctival flap was performed in 1 eye each of 19 New Zealand albino rabbits. On the second postoperative day, a 2- to 3-mm hole was made in the bleb. In 9 rabbits, the hole was glued using fibrinogen glue with indocyanine green dye added. The glue was "cured" with a diode laser. Eyes that had been glued and developed a subsequent leak had the glue reapplied on the day the leak was detected.


RESULTS
The glue remained on the conjunctiva for an average (mean+/-SD) of 1.9+/-1.8 days (range, 0-5 days). The last day of bleb leak for the rabbits with glued eyes was 1.6+/-2.4 days; for the control rabbits, it was 8.0+/-4.4 days (P=.001, Mann-Whitney U test).


CONCLUSIONS
Laser-cured fibrinogen glue is effective in closing bleb leaks in rabbits.
Wright
M M
MM
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
Brown
E A
EA
Maxwell
K
K
Cameron
J D
JD
Walsh
A W
AW
D000818:Animals; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000601:surgery; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018463:Filtering Surgery; D007834:Lasers; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011817:Rabbits; D012590:Sclera / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps
D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive