The Benefits Of Glue Used In Facelift Surgery

Facelift Surgery

Dr. Davis B. Nguyen, M.D.'s and Dr. Frank M. Kamer, M.D.'s co-authored study on the benefits of the use of fibrin glue adherent in facelift surgery has been published in the September issue of world's premier Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Journal, that of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. The study represents the most comprehensive clinical assessment of the use of fibrin glue in facelifts to date and its conclusions demonstrate a significant advancement in surgical facelift technique.

The study was conducted at the venerated Lasky Clinic in Beverly Hills, one of the first accredited outpatient ambulatory surgical centers in greater Los Angeles, founded by Dr. Frank Kamer in 1981. Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Kamer analyzed two hundred patients undergoing elective facelifts in a consistent fashion. One hundred patients over a one year period received fibrin glue during facelift surgery and their healing was measured prospectively. Another one hundred patients from the previous year who had not received fibrin glue had their charts retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent facelifts by the same surgeon using the deep plane technique, which involves repositioning large skin flaps at multiple levels of the face. Patient healing was evaluated in stages at 24 hours, 48 hours, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively.

The use of fibrin glue was associated with several significant benefits in both the short and long-term healing processes of the patients studied. Fibrin glue alleviated the need for drainage tubes postoperatively that can cause discomfort. The tubes are normally placed under the skin for 1-2 days following facelift surgery to collect blood and prevent swelling. The fibrin glue adherent, which is applied before the external skin flap is resealed, also reduced the incidence of severe complications such as hematoma, seroma, and death. Most notably, zero percent of patients who received fibrin glue suffered prolonged swelling, discoloration, or hardness as opposed to twenty-two percent of patients who had not received fibrin glue.

Fibrin Tissue adhesive dates back to World War I when it was used topically to control the bleeding of wounded soldiers. Since then, it has been utilized with success in a variety of surgical procedures. It has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for colostomy procedure, cardiopulmonary bypass, and splenic surgery. Its use in aesthetic surgery, though popular in Europe, has been less widespread in the United States. Dr. Davis Nguyen, former chief surgical resident at Yale University, is among the few facial plastic surgeons employing this advanced facelift technique. "This advancement has had a tremendous impact on my practice," states Nguyen. "The major concerns for my patients are results, risk, and downtime. With this technique, my patients benefit from shorter recovery periods, fewer complications, and superior surgical outcomes."