The Study on the Efficacy of Fibrin Glue in Preventing Post-traumatic Focal Pancreatitis (PTFP) After Radical Gastrectomy

This study was intended to evaluate the efficacy of fibrin glue (FG) in preventing post-traumatic focal pancreatitis (PTFP) after radical gastrectomy by examining the drainage fluids over 7 days post-op.

Ninety-five patients who underwent D2 radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer were randomly assigned to a fibrin glue group (n = 48) receiving fibrin glue on the raw surface of the pancreas during surgery and a control group (n = 47), which did not receive fibrin glue.

We found no significant difference in operation time and intraoperative blood loss between groups (p > 0.05); no deaths occurred during surgery. The volume of ascitic fluid containing blood cells in the fibrin glue group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.001) at all times observed. Amylase levels in the drained fluids were highest at 24 h postoperatively in both groups, suggesting pancreatitis, but gradually decreased to normal levels within 7 days. The amylase in the drains in the control group was significantly higher than that in the FG group (p < 0.001) at all times observed, but it returned to normal 72 h postoperatively in the FG group. One death by hemorrhagic shock associated with PTFP was recorded in the control group.

Fibrin glue is safe and effective in preventing PTFP following gastric surgery and shortens the clinical course of the disease.