Is anyone familiar with the use of Tisseel (Fibrin Sealant) in connection with facelift surgery?

Tisseel acts as an adhesive and is well documented to help with facial flap adherence. In 20 years of use there have been no reported incidents of HIV or Hepatitis transmission. It can decrease or eliminate the need for drains in facial surgery. Although not intended to treat bleeding I have used it in those cases where bleeding has been an issue. I would not hesitate to use it as needed but would not use it routinely due to expense. A link below is provided to read more about its use.Best of LuckDr. J

Tisseel is a fibrin sealant used to reduce the risk of bleeding in facelifts and other surgical procedures.  The risks in facelift are already low so the therapeutic benefits have not been borne out.  Most recent series have failed to show a statistically significant improvement in the “large” or “operative” hematoma rate with the use of fibrin glue. Many authors feel that its application leads to decreased edema and ecchymosis, but most studies are small and may be skewed by observer bias

 Fibrin sealant is something that has been used to help decrease bleeding  after facelift surgery. It is a procedure that is simple to perform but adds a small cost to the overall procedure. Many patients find it worthwhile to pursue due to the fact that it decreases bruising and swelling after facelift.

I routinely use another preparation of fibrin sealant (Artiss) rather than Tisseel, because it is easier to use, but both products are different preparations of fibrin made by the same company with different concentrations of thrombin so they polymerize or "set" at different rates.    In  my hands Artiss decreases bruising somewhat.  Prospective randomized studies have demonstrated a reduction in drainage if suction drains are used, but the evidence for a reduction in bruising is less clear.  It is particularly useful in patients who may be prone to bleed more from a variety of conditions including low platelets.

Hello and thank you for your question.  The
best advice you can receive is from an in-person consultation.  Tisseel can be used during a facelift in order to decrease swelling/bruising in theory.  There are other factors which are much more important than just tisseel, such as operative tehcnique of your surgeon, which is by far the single most important aspect of your healing and end result.  Make sure you specifically look
at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery
performed by your surgeon and evaluate their results.   The most
important aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend
that you seek consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who
can evaluate you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.  FACS
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Hi.  It is very common to use products like Tisseel during facelift surgery.  The benefits of faster healing and reduced bruising are there--I use Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) to accomplish this instead because it is autologous (natural and derived from the patient).  PRP helps patients look less swollen too, which also shortens recovery. PRP is useful after laser resurfacing, microneedling, etc. for the same reasons. Best wishes,

I use Tisseel routinely with facelift surgery.  It is a great product to seal and glue the skin down after its elevation.  It is not to replace sutures or SMAS elevation.  Its purpose is to reduce bruising and swelling  in the post. operative period.    In my opinion it is used instead of drains.  I don't like using drains with Tisseel as it can create a band like appearance around the drain. 

Tisseel is a sealant that combines naturally occurring blood components to facilitate clotting and reduce the risk of bleeding after surgery. It is often used in place of drains for facelift surgeries. While helpful in minimizing bleeding after surgery, Tisseel is not meant for treatment of active bleeding. I prefer to use the patient's own platelet rich plasma to help with healing and clotting, together with drains, which are removed the very next day following surgery.

Tisseel is used to decrease the chances of postoperative bleeding. It's basically a glue made from the same products that cause clotting of the blood. Many patients use it primarily in the neck because that's where most postoperative bleeding occurs. It's usually used in place of drains once bleeding is controlled during surgery. It's not use to stop active bleeding

Hi and thank you for your question. More and more surgeons are adopting and incorporating tissue glues like Tisseal and Artiss (fibrin glues) in their facelifts in lieu of surgical drains. A recent review of controlled studies measuring the outcome of fibrin glues in facelifts have shown a statistically significant decrease in  hematoma formation (collection of blood under the skin flaps of a facelift) and swelling. They have also been found to be safe in longer term studies. I personally utilize fibrin glue in my full lower facelifts where significant skin elevation was performed in the face and neck, but not in my limited incision facelifts. I think the use of fibrin glue allows my patients to not worry about cumbersome and unsightly surgical drains and allows for a more rapid recovery. Hope that helped! Best, Dr. Roy.