Does glubran 2 improve the graft uptake in tympanoplasty? A retrospective study

Tympanoplasty is a common procedure in otolaryngology practice and several factors have been described to increase graft uptake. Independent of the technique and graft material, the revascularization process of the graft is related to patient factors as well as contact of the tympanic membrane remnant’s edges with the graft material. A number of different tissue glue materials and other packing methods have been used for graft stabilization. Glubran 2, a cyanoacrylate containing surgical tissue adhesive, has highly effective anticoagulant and adhesive properties, and the present study aims to reveal the effectiveness of this glue on tympanoplasty surgery. The study is designed as retrospective chart review and it was set up at Etlik İhtisas Research and Training Hospital which is a tertiary care center. The study population consisted of 68 consecutive patients aged between 9 and 75 years who underwent over–underlay tympanoplasty. The patients were divided into two groups according to use of glubran 2 as a sealing material for graft fixation. The patients in whom glubran 2 was not used served as the control group. There were 20 women and 16 men in the glubran 2 group, 17 women and 15 men in the control group. These two groups were also subdivided into two groups for the graft type used (temporal muscle fascia or tragal cartilage). The overall graft take rate was 88.9 % in the tympanoplasty group sealed with glubran 2 and 84.4 % in the control group. A statistically significant decrease was seen in hearing thresholds in both groups postoperatively when compared to the preoperative values (p < 0.001 for both). There was no significant otorrhea in either group. Graft uptake and hearing recovery were similar in glubran 2 and control groups. These findings suggest that glubran 2 is an effective material for fixation of the graft in tympanoplasty, but it does not have a notable effect on the success of the surgery.