New and potential uses of fibrin sealants as an adjunct to surgical hemostasis.

Commercially prepared fibrin sealants have been available in Europe and Japan for many years. However, current formulations are exclusively two-component, liquid fibrin sealants, and delivery devices are rather rudimentary. To date, this has had the effect of limiting the number of clinical applications that make use of fibrin sealants. The recent licensing of fibrin sealants by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States has the potential to expand the use of these products in established procedures. As surgeons gain experience with fibrin sealants, it is likely that new clinical applications will be developed in a wider range of surgical specialties. The aim of this article is to explore the potential future formulations and uses of fibrin sealants and highlight a range of surgical procedures that may benefit from these products.