From surgery to neurosurgery: Our experience on the efficacy of fleece-bound sealing (Tachosil®) for dural repair

Aim. To report on our routine use of TachoSil® for dural repair in neurosurgical practice. Method. TachoSil® has been applied in different fields of surgery thus far. When using TachoSil®, fibrinogen and thrombin is provided locally at the site of the dural defects. Upon contact with fluid, the clotting factors of TachoSil® dissolve and form a fibrin network, which glues the collagen sponge to the wound surface. Results. In our experience, TachoSil® was found to be effective as support for the suture of the dura in patients undergoing spinal and cranial neurosurgical operations. Two illustrative examples are shown. Conclusions. Our procedure showed that closing the dural defect with TachoSil® is a technically simple, reliable and safe method for patients. Indeed, no post-operative cerebrospinal fluid leakage was observed. Nonetheless, further studies with larger sample size are warranted to confirm the efficacy of TachoSil® patches for dural repair. © 2014, CIC Edizioni Internazionali, Roma.