The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 57, 1622-1627, Copyright © 1994 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Formaldehyde-free collagen glue in experimental lung gluing
IC Ennker, J Ennker, D Schoon, HA Schoon, M Rimpler and R Hetzer
Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, German Heart Institute, Berlin.
Because of the well-known limitations of the adhesive strength of fibrin
glue, it is imperative to develop a stronger glue with acceptable
biocompatibility. This was accomplished by removing the formaldehyde
component from gelatin-resorcinol-formaldehyde glue and replacing it by two
less toxic aldehydes--pentanedial and ethanedial. To evaluate the adhesive
strength of this new glue, GR-DIAL, lung incisions in rabbit hybrids were
glued together. Each group (n = 5) was examined histologically after 2 days
and 1, 2, and 4 weeks. The glue disintegrated gradually with good
bioresorption when the incision was closed with a thin layer of glue. The
healing process was favorable, indicating good biocompatibility. Therefore,
GR-DIAL glue is capable of enhancing the use of surgical glues in the field
of thoracic surgery by enabling surgeons to close larger parenchymal
lesions than with fibrin glue.