ABSTRACT
The specialty of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery (TCV) has developed rapidly during the second half of the twentieth century. For this purpose, fibrin sealant is gaining increased popularity as a surgical tissue adhesive. Many of the major thoracic and cardiovascular surgical centers in the country have mechanisms for obtaining concentrated sources of human fibrinogen and Factor XIII required with bovine thrombin and calcium for the formation of fibrin tissue adhesive. Making fibrin sealant easily and rapidly available to thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center has fostered a variety of new application methods. Fibrin sealant can also be employed to reduce leakage of other body fluids in TCV. The issue of tissue fibrosis in response to fibrin sealant application has been evaluated and, at least in situations where sealant is used without antifibrinolytics, does not appear to be clinically significant.
