The use of tissue adhesive in management of genitourinary fistulas: a systematic review and case report.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Articles are getting published on the use of tissue adhesive for vesicovaginal fistula. The objective is to carry out a systematic review on their effectiveness and complications.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Two reviewers screened abstracts and full-text and extracted data independently. A narrative synthesis was conducted given the heterogeneity of studies.

RESULTS

A total of 1032 studies were identified after searching the database, and 14 articles were included in this systematic review. Of the 84 women included, 12 (14.3%) presented failure or recurrence of their fistula tract. The mean time of follow-up was 11.46 months. The average size of the fistula was 1.05 (range 0.1 to 3.9) cm. Most fistulas (81) included were vesicovaginal fistulas. Nine papers reported the usage of fibrin glue in which only three (6.5%) women reported recurrence of the fistula in a delay of 2 weeks to 26 months. The other studies used cyanoacrylate (14 women) and autologous fibrin injection from the patients' blood (31 women). No significant complications were reported. Complications reported were urinary tract infections in 3 women (3.6%), hematuria in 2 women (2.4%), overactive bladder symptoms in 6 women (7.2%) and septic pelvic thrombosis in one woman (1.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Tissue adhesive appears to be a promising alternative for management of urogenital fistulas without reported important complications.