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Fibrin glue mitigates the learning curve of microneurosurgical repair
Author(s) -
Whitlock Elizabeth L.,
Kasukurthi Rahul,
Yan Ying,
Tung Thomas H.,
Hunter Daniel A.,
Mackin Susan E.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
microsurgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.031
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1098-2752
pISSN - 0738-1085
DOI - 10.1002/micr.20754
Subject(s) - fibrin glue , medicine , fibrous joint , surgery , glue , sciatic nerve , microsurgery , nerve repair , peripheral nerve , anatomy , materials science , composite material
Microneurosurgical technique has a steep learning curve. An alternative to microepineurial suture repair of peripheral nerves that circumvents this learning curve would be ideal. We investigated the effect of surgeon experience on suture versus fibrin glue coaptations in a mouse sciatic nerve graft model. Sixty‐four mice received sciatic nerve grafts with either suture or fibrin glue repair by either a naïve surgeon (medical student) or a surgeon with extensive microsurgical experience. Grafts underwent quantitative histomorphometry at 3 weeks postoperatively. Suture repairs performed by the naïve surgeon demonstrated significantly poorer distal regeneration than all other repairs. Histomorphometric parameters of suture and glue repairs performed by the experienced surgeon were not significantly different from the glue coaptation by the naïve surgeon. Fibrin glue may be considered as an alternative to microepineurial suture repair, particularly in the setting of relative surgeon inexperience with microsurgical technique. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 2010.