Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026
A Simplified Protocol for Protecting Palatal Soft Tissue Donor Sites Using an Oral Mucoadhesive Bandage
Published on: February 17, 2026
Photographic Assessment of Cosmetic Outcome in Postsurgical Facial Scars Favors Rapidly Absorbable Polyglactin 910
Luiz Pantalena1, Alexander Seal2, Shannon Humphrey3
1Cardinal Dermatology, South Bend Indiana.
Background:
No adequately powered, randomized studies have compared different absorbable suture types used for epidermal closure on facial scar cosmesis.
Objective:
To assess postsurgical facial scar appearance using rapidly absorbable polyglactin 910 or fast absorbing gut for epidermal closure.
Materials And Methods:
Randomized, blinded, split-scar clinical trial of 5-0 rapidly absorbable polyglactin 910 (Vicryl Rapide) and 5-0 fast absorbing gut. Patients with facial wounds resulting from Mohs micrographic surgery (n = 105) were assigned for epidermal closure. One dermatologist and 1 plastic surgeon, blinded to original suture location, evaluated photographs of each healed scar at 6 months after surgery and graded each half of the scar using the visual analog scale (VAS), Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale (SBSES), and wound evaluation scale (WES).
Results:
At 6 months, mean (SD) scores from the dermatologist all statistically favored rapidly absorbable polyglactin 910: VAS 76.5(14.5) versus 73.2(15.2), p = .05; SBSES 4.4(0.9) versus 4.0(1.1), p = .006; WES 5.4(1.0) versus 5.1(1.1), p = .05. Scores from the plastic surgeon also favored rapidly absorbable polyglactin 910 but were not statistically significant.
Conclusion:
Rapidly absorbable polyglactin 910, placed through the epidermis, was the favored absorbable suture material for facial epidermal closure.