A comparative study of tissue glue and vicryl suture for closing limbal-conjunctival autografts and histologic evaluation after pterygium excision.
OBJECTIVE
To compare clinical and histopathologic outcomes of tissue glue and vicryl suture to attach limbal conjunctival autografts in pterygium surgery.


METHODS
Twenty-four eyes of 24 patients were included in this study. All eyes had primary pterygia and were treated with limbal conjunctival autograft transplantation after pterygium resection. Tissue glue (Tisseel) was used to attach the limbal conjunctival autograft in 12 eyes and vicryl sutures in 12 eyes. Patients were followed for 6 months. Histopathologic examination was performed in both groups on postoperative days 1, 15, and 45. Main outcome measures were patient comfort, graft success, complications, histopathologic evaluation, and recurrence of pterygium.


RESULTS
Patient comfort was significantly higher in the tissue glue group than the vicryl suture group (P < 0.05). All grafts were intact in both groups during the follow-up period. No recurrence was observed during the 6-month follow-up in both groups. Foreign-body granulation tissue was not seen in any histopathologic studies in eyes with tissue glue, whereas it was observed in eyes with vicryl sutures from day 15 to day 45. The tissue glue was seen under the conjunctiva on the first postoperative day and was not seen on days 15 and 45.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed that limbal conjunctival autografting is an effective surgical technique for the treatment of pterygium, and tissue glue was efficacious in securing the limbal conjunctival autograft in pterygium surgery. The use of tissue glue decreases patient symptoms during the postoperative period after pterygium surgery. Compared with sutures, tissue glue had no adverse effects on ocular tissue.
Ankara Ulucanlar Eye Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. yasemin_oz@yahoo.com
Yasemin
Y
Ozdamar
Seda
S
Mutevelli
Unsal
U
Han
Dilek
D
Ileri
Binnur
B
Onal
Ozgur
O
Ilhan
Jale
J
Karakaya
Orhan
O
Zilelioglu
D000328:Adult; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011098:Polyglactin 910; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011625:Pterygium / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D014014:Tissue Adhesives / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015718:Fibrin Tissue Adhesive; D014014:Tissue Adhesives; D011098:Polyglactin 910