Cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive or silk suture for closure of surgical wound following removal of an impacted mandibular third molar: A randomized controlled study.

AIM: The aim of the study was to compare postoperative sequelae and wound healing outcome following closure of surgical wound with either cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive or silk suture.

METHODS

Subjects with mesio-angularly impacted mandibular third molar were allocated randomly into 2 equal groups. The control group had wound closure with silk suture and study group with cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive. Subjects were followed up for 7 postoperative days. Postoperative pain, swelling, trismus, bleeding, wound dehiscence and wound infection were evaluated.

RESULTS

Sixty subjects in each group completed the study. No significant difference was observed in the mean postoperative pain, swelling, trismus, wound dehiscence and infection between the 2 groups. There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative bleeding between the 2 groups on postoperative day 1, with more bleeding in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive compares favourably with silk suture as a wound closure material. In addition, cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive seems to have beneficial haemostatic effect on postoperative bleeding.