Reduction of Pulmonary Air Leaks with a Combination of Polyglycolic Acid Sheet and Alginate Gel in Rats

Abstract EN

Postoperative air leaks remain a major cause of morbidity after lung resection.

This study evaluated the effect of a combination of polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet and alginate gel on pulmonary air leaks in rats.

Four pulmonary sealing materials were evaluated in lung injury: fibrin glue, combination of PGA sheet and fibrin glue, alginate gel, and combination of PGA sheet and alginate gel.

With the airway pressure maintained at 20 cmH2O, a 2 mm deep puncture wound was created on the lung surface using a needle.

Lowering the airway pressure to 5 cmH2O, each sealing material was applied.

The lowest airway pressure that broke the seal was measured.

The seal-breaking pressure in each experimental group was fibrin, 10.4±6.8 cmH2O; PGA + fibrin, 13.5±6.5 cmH2O; alginate gel, 10.3±4.9 cmH2O; and PGA + alginate, 35.8±11.9 cmH2O, respectively.

The seal-breaking pressure was significantly greater in the PGA + alginate gel group than in the other groups (p<0.01).

There were no significant differences among the other three groups.

Alginate gel combined with a PGA sheet is a promising alternative to fibrin glue as a safe and low-cost material for air leak prevention in pulmonary surgery.