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