Fibrin sealants: surgical hemostat, sealant and adhesive

Abstract

Introduction: Fibrin sealants (FS) have been approved for use in the United States since 1998. Since approval, they have been used in a wide variety of clinical settings and new products continue to be introduced.

Areas covered: This review covers the literature supporting the USA FDA-approved indications for FS products produced by Baxter Corp. Literature review of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, FDA approval documents and product websites yielded information contained in this article. Mechanism of action, efficacy and safety of these products are covered.

Expert opinion: FS are generally safe, popular and are used for a wide variety of off-label indications. Their use appears to be expanding rapidly. For many uses, including approved ones, large well-controlled trials are still needed. Additionally, cost-effectiveness data for these products would be a great benefit in guiding their future use.

Keywords: adhesive; fibrin sealant; fibrinogen; hemostasis; sealant; skin graft; surgery; thrombin.