The Effect of Fibrin Sealants on Tubal Reanastomosis: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Female tubal factor infertility is a major clinical challenge. While surgical repair of the fallopian tubes remains the traditional standard, biological fibrin sealants have been proposed to reduce tissue trauma and improve reproductive outcomes. <b>Methods</b>: We conducted database searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and Google Scholar until 31 August 2025, using the keywords "tubal anastomosis", "tubal reanastomosis," "tubal reanastomosis", "uterine horn anastomosis", "fibrin glue", "fibrin sealant", "biological sealant", "tissue adhesive", "rabbit", "rat" and "sterilization reversal." Reference lists of retrieved articles have been examined to find studies which tested end-to-end tubal (or small-animal uterine horn) anastomosis through biological adhesives with or without additional components to evaluate patency success, fertility results and adhesion formation. <b>Results</b>: Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria (eleven animal; two human). Rat and rabbit models demonstrated that fibrin sealants with intraluminal splints and one-to-two anchoring sutures produced results comparable to microsutures for patency (tubal patency rates of 75-100%) and pregnancy success (pregnancy rates of 60-83%) while reducing surgical time and decreasing peritubal adhesions. The success rates of the procedures depended on the anastomosis locations. Isthmic-isthmic anastomosis produced better results than ampullary repairs which tended to fail or develop stenosis. Fibrin sealant-only repairs without splinting were associated with lower patency (almost 60%) despite acceptable histologic healing. Human data showed similar pregnancy rates (intrauterine pregnancy in about 40-50% of women) and tubal patency but no consistent decrease in adhesions. Ectopic pregnancy rates ranged from 9 to 11%. <b>Conclusions</b>: Fibrin sealants are useful adjuncts to microsurgical tubal repair, but they should not replace the basic repair procedures. The effectiveness of this procedure is dependent on three critical factors: precise segment alignment, proper use of splints and stents, and selection of segments with comparable caliber. In a personalized-medicine framework, fibrin-assisted reanastomosis may offer a tailored option for selected women who desire natural pregnancy. Modern standardized research is required to define indications and analyze how the adaptation of fibrin sealants in minimally invasive procedures affect reproductive outcomes, ectopic pregnancy rates, and adhesion development.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Personalized Medicine
Published
2025-12-31
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm16010012
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Gynecological conditions and treatments
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
4.11
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

The Effect of Fibrin Sealants on Tubal Reanastomosis: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

Stylianos Kykalos, D. Papageorgiou, Konstantinos Kontzoglou, Nikolaos Salakos et al.
2 citations
Journal of Personalized Medicine
Gynecological conditions and treatments
4.11
article

The Effect of Fibrin Sealants on Tubal Reanastomosis: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

Stylianos Kykalos, D. Papageorgiou, Konstantinos Kontzoglou, Nikolaos Salakos, Vasilios Pergialiotis, Eleni Sivylla Bikouvaraki, Ioakeim Sapantzoglou
article en
2 citations

Abstract

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Female tubal factor infertility is a major clinical challenge. While surgical repair of the fallopian tubes remains the traditional standard, biological fibrin sealants have been proposed to reduce tissue trauma and improve reproductive outcomes. <b>Methods</b>: We conducted database searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and Google Scholar until 31 August 2025, using the keywords "tubal anastomosis", "tubal reanastomosis," "tubal reanastomosis", "uterine horn anastomosis", "fibrin glue", "fibrin sealant", "biological sealant", "tissue adhesive", "rabbit", "rat" and "sterilization reversal." Reference lists of retrieved articles have been examined to find studies which tested end-to-end tubal (or small-animal uterine horn) anastomosis through biological adhesives with or without additional components to evaluate patency success, fertility results and adhesion formation. <b>Results</b>: Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria (eleven animal; two human). Rat and rabbit models demonstrated that fibrin sealants with intraluminal splints and one-to-two anchoring sutures produced results comparable to microsutures for patency (tubal patency rates of 75-100%) and pregnancy success (pregnancy rates of 60-83%) while reducing surgical time and decreasing peritubal adhesions. The success rates of the procedures depended on the anastomosis locations. Isthmic-isthmic anastomosis produced better results than ampullary repairs which tended to fail or develop stenosis. Fibrin sealant-only repairs without splinting were associated with lower patency (almost 60%) despite acceptable histologic healing. Human data showed similar pregnancy rates (intrauterine pregnancy in about 40-50% of women) and tubal patency but no consistent decrease in adhesions. Ectopic pregnancy rates ranged from 9 to 11%. <b>Conclusions</b>: Fibrin sealants are useful adjuncts to microsurgical tubal repair, but they should not replace the basic repair procedures. The effectiveness of this procedure is dependent on three critical factors: precise segment alignment, proper use of splints and stents, and selection of segments with comparable caliber. In a personalized-medicine framework, fibrin-assisted reanastomosis may offer a tailored option for selected women who desire natural pregnancy. Modern standardized research is required to define indications and analyze how the adaptation of fibrin sealants in minimally invasive procedures affect reproductive outcomes, ectopic pregnancy rates, and adhesion development.

Journal of Personalized MedicineVol. 16(1)
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR), Alexandra Hospital (GR), Athens Naval & Veterans Hospital (GR)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
Gynecological conditions and treatments
4.11
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.