title: Preliminary results with the use of an albumin-glutaraldehyde tissue adhesive in lung surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to test the performance of an albumin-glutaraldehyde tissue adhesive, BioGlue(r) Surgical Adhesive (BioGlue) in the sealing of air leaks from pulmonary parenchyma and bronchopleural fistulas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between March 2000 and November 2001 BioGlue was applied in 38 randomly selected patients, who underwent 39 operations. The mean age was 51.4 years (range 19 to 75 years). A median of 5 cc of BioGlue was used per patient (range 5 to 20 cc). The operations included 36 thoracotomies, 2 video-assisted thoracoscopies and one rigid bronchoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The duration of air leak ranged from 0 to 2 days with a median of 1 day. The duration of total (air and fluid) chest tube drainage ranged from 1 to 12 days with a median of 3 days. Complications were observed in 3 patients (8%) and included atelectasis in one and residual space in 2. Three patients died because of preexisting respiratory failure unrelated to BioGlue application. Hospitalization ranged from 4 to 16 days with a median of 6 days and was prolonged in some patients because of their primary disease (empyema, bronchopleural fistula, etc.).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of BioGlue proved to be safe and effective in the sealing of lung lacerations and in preventing air leakage from suture or staple lines in emphysematous lungs. It was also successful in sealing bronchopleural fistulas when applied either intra-bronchially through the rigid bronchoscope or during thoracotomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, General Hospital of Attica KAT, Greece. konstantinospotaris@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Potaris
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mihos
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gakidis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000418:Albumins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001983:Bronchial Fistula / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005976:Glutaral / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013510:Pulmonary Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013997:Time Factors; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D014014:Tissue Adhesives; D005976:Glutaral