Perineal tears too!
Here are a couple hits from a search of "superglue sutures". (Hey, how do I do the behind the cut trick?) Alot come from midwife sites that actually suggest using superglue for perineal tears!:
"Just ran across a synopsis of an article from Pediatrics 1996:98:12-14. Some peds emergency depts did a study comparing suturing to Histoacryl Blue (a type of superglue) in repairing pediatric lacerations. There were 30 kids in each group. Time involved in repair was 7 minutes with superglue as opposed to 17 minutes for suturing. Pain during repair was significantly less with superglue and the parents were quite impressed! And, photos the the wounds before and after closure (at 1 wk and 2 months follow-up visits) were assessed by 2 plastic surgeons who were blinded to method of repair. They declared similar or better healing outcomes with superglue. Additionally, because superglue peels off spontaneously in 5-8 days, there is no need for suture removal."
"Superglue Stitches
Handy home and emergency alternative to sutures
For years midwives have been using over-the-counter superglue to "suture" perineal tears after birth. It's better than stitches. Veteran backpackers have been known to pack a tiny tube of super glue for emergency repairs of deep cuts in places where there is no doctor. Superglue is ethyl-cyanoacrylate. While fine for small cuts, it has several weaknesses when used as a substitute for heavy-duty suturing. An improved version, butyl-cyanoacrylate was developed for heavier surgical repairs, and this stuff was used widely in the Vietnam War to patch up soldiers in the field. Butyl-cyanoacrylate is a little more flexible on a wound than commercial superglue, generates fewer toxic byproducts, and is now commonly used by vets to repair animal wounds. You can buy the stuff as 3M Vetbond. This is also what midwives have started using. In 2000, the FDA approved a new version of tissue adhesive for human use, sold as Dermabond. This new composition, octyl-cyanoacrylate, is a longer chain, still more flexible, and possess the yet-unexplained ability to inhibit bacterial growth -- a godsend in surgery. It's strong enough that it will likely replace a lot of suturing altogether someday. Small quantities of octyl-cyanoacrylate are sold to non-medicals for "research purposes" -- it's the genuine stuff, only in dispensers that aren't sterilized, and therefore not approved for human use (only animal use). To use any cyanoacrylate on a wound, keep it on the surface layer of skin, not down in the well of the wound - imagine you are taping the top of the wound together. The glue sloughs off by itself in time. Despite all the improvements of cyanoacrylate, small amounts of hardware store superglue will work in a pinch. I know a physician who uses ordinary superglue at home on his kid's cuts. A vial of Vetbond would be even better. It's dyed blue so you can easily see where it is on the skin and where it is not, and it is made for cuts.
Health Industry Today, Feb, 1999
Product strategies
"New surgical adhesive intended to take the ouch out of stitching and improve cosmetic results. . . .is a superglue-like substance that is used to close lacerations and incisions that otherwise would have required sutures, staples or skin strips. Although its applications are not universal, Dermabond holds promise as a pain-free alternative to the sutures that can scar, rip and cause extreme psychological discomfort, especially in the young. . . .Dermabond has been used by veterinarians in a number of applications closing surgical incisions in dogs, sealing the bleeding paws of declawed cats, and protecting leg abrasions on horses. Properly denoted Dermabond Topical Skin Adhesive (2 Octyl Cyanoacrylate), the product has recently been cleared for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and warmly received, although the effectiveness of the application has been known for a little longer. A study assessing the effectiveness of octylcyanoacrylate adhesive for lacerations was published in the May 1997 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). It reported that the adhesive "may replace the need to suture millions of lacerations each year." The product is seen as especially effective for children. Thomas Bruns, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn., said, "Kids are terrified of needles. But they get pretty excited about being glued instead of sutured." Dermabond can also eliminate the need for an anesthetic injection in wound closure. It is also said to be significantly faster than closing wounds by traditional methods. Shorter, easier, lesser In a study of 818 patients at 10 clinical sites, Dermabond was demonstrated to be as effective as sutures in repairing trauma-induced wounds and closing surgical incisions, and also offers some advantages shorter treatment time, easier application technique, and less patient pain and discomfort than that associated with sutures. . . . "
"Just ran across a synopsis of an article from Pediatrics 1996:98:12-14. Some peds emergency depts did a study comparing suturing to Histoacryl Blue (a type of superglue) in repairing pediatric lacerations. There were 30 kids in each group. Time involved in repair was 7 minutes with superglue as opposed to 17 minutes for suturing. Pain during repair was significantly less with superglue and the parents were quite impressed! And, photos the the wounds before and after closure (at 1 wk and 2 months follow-up visits) were assessed by 2 plastic surgeons who were blinded to method of repair. They declared similar or better healing outcomes with superglue. Additionally, because superglue peels off spontaneously in 5-8 days, there is no need for suture removal."
"Superglue Stitches
Handy home and emergency alternative to sutures
For years midwives have been using over-the-counter superglue to "suture" perineal tears after birth. It's better than stitches. Veteran backpackers have been known to pack a tiny tube of super glue for emergency repairs of deep cuts in places where there is no doctor. Superglue is ethyl-cyanoacrylate. While fine for small cuts, it has several weaknesses when used as a substitute for heavy-duty suturing. An improved version, butyl-cyanoacrylate was developed for heavier surgical repairs, and this stuff was used widely in the Vietnam War to patch up soldiers in the field. Butyl-cyanoacrylate is a little more flexible on a wound than commercial superglue, generates fewer toxic byproducts, and is now commonly used by vets to repair animal wounds. You can buy the stuff as 3M Vetbond. This is also what midwives have started using. In 2000, the FDA approved a new version of tissue adhesive for human use, sold as Dermabond. This new composition, octyl-cyanoacrylate, is a longer chain, still more flexible, and possess the yet-unexplained ability to inhibit bacterial growth -- a godsend in surgery. It's strong enough that it will likely replace a lot of suturing altogether someday. Small quantities of octyl-cyanoacrylate are sold to non-medicals for "research purposes" -- it's the genuine stuff, only in dispensers that aren't sterilized, and therefore not approved for human use (only animal use). To use any cyanoacrylate on a wound, keep it on the surface layer of skin, not down in the well of the wound - imagine you are taping the top of the wound together. The glue sloughs off by itself in time. Despite all the improvements of cyanoacrylate, small amounts of hardware store superglue will work in a pinch. I know a physician who uses ordinary superglue at home on his kid's cuts. A vial of Vetbond would be even better. It's dyed blue so you can easily see where it is on the skin and where it is not, and it is made for cuts.
Health Industry Today, Feb, 1999
Product strategies
"New surgical adhesive intended to take the ouch out of stitching and improve cosmetic results. . . .is a superglue-like substance that is used to close lacerations and incisions that otherwise would have required sutures, staples or skin strips. Although its applications are not universal, Dermabond holds promise as a pain-free alternative to the sutures that can scar, rip and cause extreme psychological discomfort, especially in the young. . . .Dermabond has been used by veterinarians in a number of applications closing surgical incisions in dogs, sealing the bleeding paws of declawed cats, and protecting leg abrasions on horses. Properly denoted Dermabond Topical Skin Adhesive (2 Octyl Cyanoacrylate), the product has recently been cleared for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and warmly received, although the effectiveness of the application has been known for a little longer. A study assessing the effectiveness of octylcyanoacrylate adhesive for lacerations was published in the May 1997 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). It reported that the adhesive "may replace the need to suture millions of lacerations each year." The product is seen as especially effective for children. Thomas Bruns, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn., said, "Kids are terrified of needles. But they get pretty excited about being glued instead of sutured." Dermabond can also eliminate the need for an anesthetic injection in wound closure. It is also said to be significantly faster than closing wounds by traditional methods. Shorter, easier, lesser In a study of 818 patients at 10 clinical sites, Dermabond was demonstrated to be as effective as sutures in repairing trauma-induced wounds and closing surgical incisions, and also offers some advantages shorter treatment time, easier application technique, and less patient pain and discomfort than that associated with sutures. . . . "