Abstract
Background:
Fibrin sealant has been used to prevent complications such as bleeding or leaks in bariatric surgery, but it has been associated with increased postoperative parameters, including temperature, heart rate, and white blood cell count, which could mislead the surgeon to the presence of postoperative complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of fibrin sealant in our program during primary Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the clinical postoperative parameters.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review between February 2007 and December 2011 was performed. Patients were categorized in two groups according to fibrin sealant use during surgery. Descriptive statistics and comparison using Student's t-test for numeric variables with symmetric distribution, Mann–Whitney test for numeric variables with severely asymmetric distributions, and chi-square tests for categorical variables between groups were performed.
Results:
A total of 232 patients having gastric bypass were identified for this study. No significant difference between groups in terms of surgical time and hospital length of stay were noted. Maximum heartbeat and white blood cell count in the first 24 hours were significantly higher in the non–fibrin sealant group. In addition, there was no difference in leak rate or bleeding prevention.
Conclusion:
This study suggests that fibrin sealant use does not alter postoperative clinical parameters such as temperature, heart rate, and white blood cell count during primary Roux en-Y gastric bypass.
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