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.