Usefulness of Fibrin Glue and Polyglycolic Acid Sheet following Partial Glossectomy in the Elderly

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify the usefulness of the MCFP (mucosal defect covered with fibrin glue and polyglycolic acid sheet) technique in elderly patients undergoing partial glossectomy. The subjects were patients aged over 70 years old with tongue cancer who underwent partial glossectomy at our hospital between 2007 and 2014. The patients were divided into the simple suture group, consisting of patients who underwent partial glossectomy before 2010, and the MCFP group, consisting of patients who underwent partial glossectomy after 2010. We compared the length of hospital stay, duration of analgesic use and the interval until resumption of oral intake after the surgery. The interval until resumption of oral intake and the length of hospital stay were similar in the two groups. However, the duration of analgesic use was significantly shorter in the MCFP group than in the simple suture group. It is possible that the postoperative pain was less severe in the MCFP group, since the surgical wound surface was coated with glue and there was no added tension as in the simple suture group. Physiological functions, including renal function, are knowns to be deteriorated in elderly patients, therefore, the shorter duration of analgesic use after surgery in the MCFP group may be of relevance to avoid drug-induced renal dysfunction in patients undergoing glossectomy.