[Histoacryl vs Dermabond cyanoacrylate glue for closing small operative wounds]

Acrylate glues used in a childrens' day care unit to close small surgical wounds were compared. In 157 children, aged 12 weeks to 3.7 years, either Histoacryl or Dermabond was used (respectively, H: Ethicon Inc., Johnson & Johnson, NJ or D: Dermabond, Braun Surgical Gmbh, Melsungen, Germany). Operations were for inguinal hernia (110 cases), hydrocele (25), undescended testis (16), umbilical hernia (13) and funiculocele (3). 1 week after surgery the wounds were evaluated in terms of integrity of closure, redness or infection, need for antibiotics, wound granuloma, and parental satisfaction with instructions and actual method of wound caring. 3 months after surgery the wound/scar was reexamined. The margins of the wounds were separated partially or completely in 8 of 85 in group H (9.4%) while in the D group, 2 wounds (2.4%) had partially opened (p < 0.05). There were no differences between the glues with regard to wound infection or cosmetic results. Parental satisfaction was higher with D (96%) than H (82%) but the difference was not statistically significant. It is convenient to use glue to close operative wounds in children after ambulatory surgery. The use of D significantly reduced wound ruptures compared to H. Long-term cosmetic results were similar.