A comparison of dermabond tissue adhesive and sutures in the primary repair of the congenital cleft lip

OBJECTIVE: To compare the long-term cosmesis of Dermabond (octyl-2-cyanoacrylate) and traditional skin sutures among patients undergoing primary cleft lip +/- palate repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven patients underwent photographic analysis following primary cleft lip +/- palate repair, including the use of Dermabond. Eleven age-matched controls who underwent cleft lip +/- palate repair with traditional suture closure served as controls. Cosmesis was assessed by 3 blinded plastic surgeons using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Hollander Wound Evaluation Scale (HWES). RESULTS: The overall mean VAS score for the patients treated with and without Dermabond was 70.0 (SD, 9.5) and 68.3 (SD, 13.4), respectively (P = 0.46). The overall mean HWES score for the patients treated with and without Dermabond was 1.7 (SD 1.7) (P = 0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Dermabond tissue adhesive offers equivalent mature wound cosmesis as traditional suture closure in the repair of the congenital cleft lip +/- palate.