A new bioabsorbable sleeve for staple-line reinforcement: report of a clinical experience

The most frequent and troublesome complication after resection of an emphysematous lung is persistent air leakage. This report describes our recent experience of using sleeves made of polyglycolic acid to reinforce staple-lines to reduce air leaks after resection of emphysematous lung. We used bioabsorbable sleeves made of polyglycolic acid (PGA) for staple-line reinforcement during lung resections in 25 patients with emphysema. Immediately after stapling, no air leaks were detected in 20 patients (80%), although prolonged air leaks lasting for more than 7 days were observed in three patients (12.5%). PGA sleeves do not constitute a foreign body that stays in the host lung, and they require no rinsing at the time of clinical use. Therefore, the PGA sleeve could be a promising new material instead of non-absorbable materials and xenomaterials for staple-line reinforcement.