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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
A Simplified Protocol for Protecting Palatal Soft Tissue Donor Sites Using an Oral Mucoadhesive Bandage
Published on: February 17, 2026
Liquid bandage (2-octyl cyanoacrylate) as a temporary wound barrier in clear corneal cataract surgery
Seth W Meskin1, David C Ritterband, Daniel E Shapiro
1Department of Ophthalmology, The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, New York, New York 10003, USA.
Purpose:
To determine the feasibility and side effect profile of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate with parabens (Liquid Bandage) as an adjunct wound sealant and barrier against the inflow of ocular surface fluid after clear corneal cataract surgery.
Design:
Prospective interventional case series.
Participants:
Fifty-one eyes of 51 patients undergoing clear corneal cataract surgery.
Methods:
Fifty-one eyes of 51 patients who underwent cataract surgery by one surgeon (RSK) were enrolled. A 2.75-mm clear corneal, triplanar, temporal incision was used in each case, followed by routine phacoemulsification. At the conclusion of each case, the wound was dried with a cellulose sponge. A modified microsponge with 1 to 2 drops of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate with parabens was then applied in a smooth layer to the wound. All wounds were rechecked for leakage with a cellulose sponge applied at the wound lip. The following criteria were evaluated on the first 2 postoperative visits: (1) visual acuity; (2) patient complaints; (3) wound integrity; (4) presence of tissue adhesive; and (5) any adverse events, including abnormal increase in local tissue reaction to the adhesive.
Main Outcome Measures:
Side effect profile and clinical course of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate with parabens applied to clear corneal wounds.
Results:
All 51 eyes demonstrated intraoperative watertight wound closure after the application of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate with parabens. Forty-five eyes (88%) had tissue adhesive still completely covering the wound on postoperative day 1. Two eyes (4%) had tissue adhesive over portions of their wound, and 4 eyes (8%) had no adhesive noted on their wound. All wounds were watertight on all postoperative visits. Thirty-one of 51 patients (61%) complained of mild transient foreign body sensation on postoperative day 1. Twenty-six patients (51%) had trace diffuse bulbar conjunctival hyperemia. Five patients had trace focal conjunctival hyperemia adjacent to the wound. Nine patients (18%) had remnants of the adhesive remaining on the second postoperative visit.
Conclusions:
Our study demonstrates the ease of use and applicability and low side effect profile of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate with parabens as a temporary wound barrier in clear corneal cataract surgery.
