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Martha M. Wright, MD; Elizabeth A. Brown, MD; Keegan Maxwell; J. Douglas Cameron, MD; Arthur W. Walsh, MD

Arch Ophthalmol. 1998;116:199-202.

Objective  To determine whether laser-cured fibrinogen glue can close bleb leaks in rabbits.

Methods  Full-thickness filtration surgery with intraoperative mitomycin and a sutured limbus-based conjunctival flap was performed in 1 eye each of 19 New Zealand albino rabbits. On the second postoperative day, a 2- to 3-mm hole was made in the bleb. In 9 rabbits, the hole was glued using fibrinogen glue with indocyanine green dye added. The glue was "cured" with a diode laser. Eyes that had been glued and developed a subsequent leak had the glue reapplied on the day the leak was detected.

Results  The glue remained on the conjunctiva for an average (mean±SD) of 1.9±1.8 days (range, 0-5 days). The last day of bleb leak for the rabbits with glued eyes was 1.6±2.4 days; for the control rabbits, it was 8.0±4.4 days (P=.001, Mann-Whitney U test).

Conclusion  Laser-cured fibrinogen glue is effective in closing bleb leaks in rabbits.

From the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Drs Wright, Brown, Cameron, and Walsh) and Macalester College, St Paul (Mr Maxwell), Minn.