Dermabond is a cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive that forms a strong bond across apposed wound edges, allowing normal healing to occur below. It is marketed to replace sutures that are 5-0 or smaller in diameter for incisional or laceration repair. This adhesive has been shown to save time during wound repair, to provide a flexible water-resistant protective coating and to eliminate the need for suture removal. The long-term cosmetic outcome with Dermabond is comparable to that of traditional methods of repair. Best suited for small, superficial lacerations, it may also be used with confidence on larger wounds where subcutaneous sutures are needed. This adhesive is relatively easy to use following appropriate wound preparation. Patients, especially children, readily accept the idea of being “glued” over traditional methods of repair.

Physicians have long sought an efficient method of wound repair that requires little time and minimizes discomfort for their patients, yet produces a good cosmetic outcome. Dermabond, the newest tissue adhesive to be labeled by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), may well meet those criteria. Cyanoacrylate tissue adhesives have been around for more than 20 years but have only recently become available for use in this country for incisional and laceration repair. They have been shown to have negligible histotoxicity, to form a strong bond to wound edges and to provide long-term cosmesis equivalent to, or better than, traditional methods of repair. In addition, they require less than one half the time for wound closure. Table 1 summarizes the benefits of tissue adhesive over sutures. 1–11