Oblique intradermal suture as a faster choice for intradermal closure: a randomized equivalence trial

Performing interrupted intradermal suture during bi-layered skin closure is time consuming. The oblique intradermal suture is hypothesized to be a faster choice for intradermal closure while yielding similar wound cosmetic outcomes. This study aims to demonstrate the equivalence of wound outcomes between the interrupted oblique intradermal suture (OIS) and conventional interrupted intradermal suture (IS) methods. This prospective, multicenter, double-blind randomized equivalence trial included patients scheduled to undergo elective surgery with a linear incision wound. A split-wound model was used. One half of the wound was sutured using IS method and the other using OIS method. Wounds were evaluated at 1 week and 2 months after surgery. Of the 120 patients, OIS was found to be equivalent to IS for all clinical outcome parameters. OIS was associated with 50% reduction in suture time and the number of stitches required, and a 40% reduction in suture material used (p < .001). Rates of wound dehiscence and infection were not different between methods. Wound outcomes using OIS were equivalent to those observed when using IS, except that OIS yielded reductions in suturing time, number of stitches and suturing material used. OIS is a cost and clinically effective wound closure method. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT03001856 Meeting presentation: 7th Bozner Symposium of Plastic Surgery, Bozen, Italy, January 2017.