WATERTIGHT SUTURES WITH FIBRIN GLUE - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY

A rat model was developed to test the watertightness of sutures and us ed to evaluate the value of fibrin glue (Tissucol(R), Immuno France, T isseel(R), Immuno U.S., Inc.) in making conventional sutures watertigh t. Fibrin glue raised the mean hydrostatic pressure to which the skin suture resisted from 9.1 to 26.3 cm H2O, thus indicating that it enhan ces suture watertightness immediately after surgery. After 3 and 6 day s, the pressure was increased, respectively, from 24.8 to 47.9 and fro m 56.5 to 73.3 cm H2O. For bladder sutures, the results are comparable .