Cyanoacrylate: An alternative to silk sutures: A comparative clinical study

Aim: The aim of the study is to compare silk sutures and n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive in intraoral wound closure and contrast the effects through the assessment of time taken to close the wound, time taken for securing hemostasis, postoperative pain, swelling, bleeding, incidence of postoperative wound infection, and wound dehiscence. Materials and Methods: This study included a total of 20 patients of both genders who required alveoloplasty either bilateral in the same arch or in the upper and lower arches. In the selected patients, the surgical sites were randomly divided into two treatment groups. In group I, surgical wounds closed with n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive and silk sutures were used for group II wound closure and the parameters were assessed. Results: Clinically and statistically, there was significant improvement in cyanoacrylate-treated wounds. The time taken for wound closure with n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate was lesser. Early hemostasis was achieved with n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate. The postoperative pain, swelling, and bleeding were less with n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate. Higher incidence of wound infection and wound dehiscence were observed in wounds treated with silk sutures. Conclusion: Cyanoacrylate causes less tissue reaction and achieves immediate hemostasis. The procedure is relatively painless and quicker. There are benefits of protection from wound infection and wound dehiscence. So it may be concluded that n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate can be used for intraoral wound closure effectively.