Experimental study and clinical application of polyglycolic acid sheet with fibrin glue for oral soft tissue surgery

Abstract

ObjectiveThe purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a Polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet with fibrin glue in the prevention of scar shrinkage. MethodsA PGA sheet with fibrin glue was grafted into the tongue after partial glossectomy in 25 rabbits. The wounds were examined histologically and compared to those of animals without grafts at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after surgery, with particular focus on the change in the shape of the tongue and scar shrinkage. Furthermore, a retrospective study was conducted for cases in which the material was grafted into the raw surface of the tongue after partial glossectomy in 20 patients with early tongue cancer or leukoplakia. Postoperative pain and bleeding, and functional disadvantages were compared between the patients with PGA grafts and 6 patients that received partial glossectomy followed by a collagen-based artificial dermis graft. ResultsIn the animal experiment, less scar shrinkage was observed in rabbits receiving the graft of the PGA sheet with fibrin glue than in those with an open wound. Clinical application of the PGA sheet with fibrin glue indicated that the materials could prevent postoperative pain and functional disadvantages compared to collagen-based artificial dermis, although no statistical analysis was conducted on these results because of a historical controlled study with a small number of patients. ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that a PGA sheet with fibrin glue is useful for treating an open wound after soft tissue surgery of the oral cavity.