[Fibrin glue injection therapy with diluted thrombin for complicated postoperative fistulas following digestive surgery].

Fibrin glue injection is used for treating postoperative digestive fistulas; however, this method is not always successful, especially in cases of complicated fistulas. Generally, the fibrin glue coagulates immediately after application before it reaches the end of the fistulas. Based on the results of an in vitro study of tensile strength and coagulation time, we utilized fibrin glue injection therapy with diluted thrombin solution (× 30) for treating refractory postoperative complicated fistulas in 23 cancer patients. In 20 of these patients, the fistulas were successfully closed after an average of 2.0 treatment cycles. This simple method of fibrin glue injection with diluted thrombin is useful for treating complicated postoperative digestive fistulas.