Evidence for improved outcome following use of hemostatic fibrin sealants in HPB surgery?

INTRODUCTION: The development of fibrin sealants has been progressing; they are now often applied as fibrinogen-coated collagen patches.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The concept has been increasingly applied in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery, for example, following liver resection, and to some extent also in pancreatic surgery, both in order to reinforce the pancreatic anastomosis at pancreaticoduodenectomy and to seal the pancreatic stump following distal pancreatectomy.

CONCLUSION: High quality evidence in the form of major prospective, randomized clinical studies is still lacking on in the field of HPB. There is also an the absence of proper cost-utility analyses.