Safety and Efficacy of Fibrin Glue versus Vicryl Sutures in Recurrent Pterygium with Amniotic Membrane Grafting

Purpose: The study aimed to compare surgical outcomes with likely toxic side effects when using pterygium excision and amniotic membrane grafting with fibrin glue versus Vicryl sutures. Method: This is a prospective randomized study. Patients were classified into two groups: group 1 consisted of 20 patients with Vicryl-sutured grafts, and group 2 consisted of 20 patients with fibrin-glued grafts that were prepared from autologous blood. Results including surgery time, patient discomfort, complications and recurrence rates within 1, 6 and 12 months were analyzed. Results: The study demonstrated that there was a statistically significant decrease in surgery time in the fibrin glue group (the procedure took 17 min) relative to the sutured group (28 min; p < 0.05). Additionally, both postoperative pain and discomfort were noted significantly less often in the fibrin glue group. Complications were also decreased in the fibrin glue group. Conclusion: The study revealed that the use of fibrin glue in pterygium surgery with amniotic membrane grafting was safer, less toxic and less time-consuming, and resulted in fewer complications than graft surgery with sutures. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel