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Background: Tisseel (Baxter Corp. Ontario, Canada) is a fibrin-based tissue glue that has been widely used to reduce wound drainage, achieve hemostasis, and decrease surgical complications. To date, Tisseel has not been evaluated in a randomized prospective trial for use in parotid surgery. Objectives: To determine whether the use of Tisseel in parotidectomy decreases postoperative wound drainage, the duration of percutaneous drainage, the length of hospital stay, and the frequency of complications. Methods: Sixty consecutive parotidectomy patients were randomized into two groups: a group treated with 2 cc of Tisseel prior to wound closure and a control group. Postoperative wound drainage was measured for all patients by blinded hospital staff. The duration of percutaneous drainage, duration of hospital stay, and incidence of complications at the 3-week follow-up were assessed. Results: A statistically significant difference in total drainage volume (p < .02) and frequency of postoperative seroma (p < .05) was demonstrated between patients treated with Tisseel prior to wound closure and the control group. Conclusion: The use of Tisseel in parotidectomy patients prior to wound closure significantly decreases total drainage volume and the frequency of postoperative seroma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This randomized, blinded, controlled study examines the effects of fibrin sealant (Tisseel, Laboratoire de production Baxter AG, Vienna, Austria) on wound drainage following thyroidectomy. Methods: Fifty-six consecutive patients were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomized into Tisseel and non-Tisseel treatment groups. Wound drain output was tallied in 8-hour increments by observers blinded to the treatment groups. Results: Fifty-six patients completed the study. Significant decreases in wound drainage were found in the first 8 hours in the Tisseel group. Eight hours postoperatively, wound output in the Tisseel group was reduced by 44% compared with the non Tisseel group. A significant decrease in the total drainage over the 64-hour time period of 43% was noted between the treatment and control groups. Post-thyroidectomy wound drainage was reduced and trended to earlier drain removal. No significant changes in the length of hospital stay were noted, nor were postoperative complications encountered in either treatment group. Conclusions: Fibrin sealants offer a unique opportunity to safely decrease post-thyroidectomy wound drainage. This investigation furthers the evidence that fibrin sealants could safely enable the implementation of drain-free thyroidectomies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]