A Comparison Between the Effectiveness of Isoamyl 2-Cyanoacrylate Tissue Adhesive and Silk Sutures in Wound Closure Following Minor Oral Surgical Procedures: A Prospective Clinical Study

Background In order to maintain the surgery site's shape, functionality, and aesthetics, closure of the wound is essential for intra-oral and general surgical procedures. Wound closure speeds up healing by reducing the buildup of inflammatory cells. For a wound to heal well, the incision must be precise, the tissue must be handled delicately, the wound must be precisely repositioned, and the closure material must have optimum functional properties and be sterile. Aim This study aims to conduct a clinical comparison of the effectiveness of silk suture versus isoamyl 2-cyanoacrylate (IAC) for intra-oral mucosal incisions. Methodology Fifty patients who needed a minor oral surgical operation under local anesthesia from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery were recruited for this prospective clinical trial. Ethical clearance and informed consent were obtained for this study. Two groups were created from the sample of 50 patients in this investigation. An intra-oral mucosal incision was closed in one group using a 3-0 silk suture and in the second using two drops of IAC. An accurate approximation of the incised edges was used to avoid leaving any gaps between them. Parameters such as the time taken for closure, pain, bleeding, swelling, mouth opening, wound dehiscence, wound infection, and local ulceration were evaluated in this study. A visual analog scale (0-10) was used to assess the pain score. Facial swelling was evaluated by the tape method given by Gabka and Matsumura. The measurement was done from tragus to pogonion, tragus to oral commissure, and outer canthus to gonion. The sum of these measurements was calculated. By measuring the distance between the incisal edges of the upper and lower central incisors, the trismus was evaluated using a graduated metal scale. Assessment of bleeding (0-4) was done by asking the patient. Assessment of wound dehiscence and local ulceration was done based on visual inspection and palpation on the first, second, and seventh days postoperatively. All the recorded parameters were tabulated. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 25.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). The Chi-square test was used to compare the categorical variables between the study groups. The independent t-test was used to compare the means between the study groups. The statistical significance was kept at a p-value less than 0.05. Results The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between suture and IAC in terms of incidence of pain and wound dehiscence. But the time taken for wound closure was less with IAC, and the pain score on the seventh day was higher with IAC and statistically significant. Conclusion We observed that IAC was as effective as the gold standard silk suture. The advantages of IAC are its hemostatic and bacteriostatic qualities, and IAC also took less time to complete the procedure.