Retrospective analysis of sutureless skin closure in cleft lip repair

Does cyanoacrylate have the best postoperative outcomes after third molar extractions when compared to conventional sutures? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

Tissue synthesis is extremely important for the attenuation of postoperative discomforts, as it keeps the tissues coapted, accelerates the healing process, and reduces the bleeding period of the surgical wound. Thus, this study aimed to systematically review the results of clinical trials that compared the use of cyanoacrylate with conventional sutures after third molars extraction.

Materials and methods

Searches were conducted on MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Virtual Health Library (VHL), and Web of Science. Articles published up to February 20, 2022, were included. No restrictions were imposed on data or language of publication.

Results

A total of 8 studies (5 randomized controlled trials and 3 non-randomized comparative clinical studies) were included in this review and five studies were included in the meta-analysis, comprising 440 patients. The use of cyanoacrylate promoted better results in pain reduction in the first postoperative day when compared to the use of conventional suture (SMD: -1.01; 95%CI -1.90 to -0.12). Cyanoacrylate group promoted significant but borderline edema reduction compared to conventional sutures in the 7th postoperative day (SMD: -0.24, 95%CI -0.46 to -0.01, I2 = 0 %). For the trismus outcome, in all periods evaluated no differences were found between the groups.

Conclusion

Although promising results, there is no high-quality evidence to suggest the use of cyanoacrylate was better than conventional sutures.

Comparative analysis of the hemostatic, analgesic and healing effects of cyanoacrylate on free gingival graft surgical wounds in donor and recipient areas: a systematic review

To analyze the hemostatic, Dsurgical wounds in donor and recipient areas of free gingival grafts (FGG). Five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane and Web of Science) were searched up to March 2021 (PROSPERO CRD42019134497). The focus of the study (cyanoacrylate) was combined with the condition (periodontal surgery OR free gingival graft OR free soft tissue graft OR autografts), and outcome (healing OR epithelialization OR pain OR analgesia OR bleeding OR hemostasis OR hemostatic). Studies reporting cyanoacrylate isolated or associated with another substance in FGG stabilization and closure were investigated and assessed for the quality and risk of bias through the Cochrane Manual. Six studies with 323 participants were included. Evaluation of the quality and risk of bias highlighted a low risk for four articles, intermediate for one and unclear for another. The use of cyanoacrylate associated or not with the hemostatic sponge or the platelet-rich fibrin was more effective in healing (three studies), analgesia (four studies), and hemostasis in one study (p < 0.05). However, groups with the association in cyanoacrylate showed superior healing, and analgesic action to the isolated cyanoacrylate group. In addition, two studies demonstrated that cyanoacrylate use reduces surgery duration, one study showed that it reduces postoperative sensibility, and another present hemostatic effect (p < 0.05). There is scarce literature for the use of cyanoacrylate in FGG wounds indicates that it can promote a minor inflammatory response, reduce operation time, does not interfere with healing, relieves postoperative discomfort, and suggests the possibility immediate hemostasis. Its use presents an alternative to suturing in FGG surgeries. But, the limited number of cases and the relative heterogeneity of the included studies suggest caution in generalizing the indication.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Cyanoacrylate seems to present analgesic effects and less pain when applied to wound closure and covering donor and recipient areas reducing the need for postoperative analgesic medication; and has a healing effect in the closure of the donor area on the palate. In addition, it can reduce bleeding time after surgery, and prevents late bleeding during the first postsurgical week. Scientific justification: To evaluate the hemostatic, analgesic and healing actions of cyanoacrylate compared to the suture thread and other agents when used to close surgical wounds from periodontal free gingival graft surgical wounds in both the donor and recipient areas of the graft.

MAIN FINDINGS

The use of cyanoacrylate individually or in association with wound dressing agents presents analgesic effects because the patient reports less pain experienced when cyanoacrylate is applied to the wound closure and covering, thereby reducing the need for postoperative analgesic medication. In addition, a healing effect is observed in the closure of the donor area on the palate; as well as it seems to present hemostatic effects, reducing the bleeding time after surgery, and preventing late bleeding during the first postsurgical week.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Dentists may cautiously apply cyanoacrylate after periodontal surgeries for free gingival graft in both the donor and recipient areas of the graft. However, they must consider the limitations of the surgery, tension-free positioning, the patient's dyscrasia and postoperative care, constituting a set of predictors for adequate clinical decision-making. Widespread use of such material for all patients and surgical configurations may not be recommended.

Tissue adhesive and adhesive tape for pediatric wound closure: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Tissue adhesive (TiA), adhesive tape (AdT), and sutures can be used to close surgical wounds and lacerations in children. However, it is unclear which technique produces the best results.

METHODS

In this prospectively registered study, the PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination Database, and ScienceDirect databases were searched. English language studies published between January 1980 and August 2017 evaluating TiA and/or AdT for primary skin closure of surgical wounds or lacerations in patients aged ≤18 years were included. Study endpoints included clinician-rated wound cosmesis and incidence of wound complications.

RESULTS

Thirty-one studies were included in the systematic review and 16 studies in the meta-analysis. Amongst heterogeneous studies, AdT yielded marginally better cosmetic outcomes than TiA (p = 0.04). There was no difference in cosmesis between sutured wounds and those closed with TiA (p = 0.2). No difference in overall risk of wound infection or dehiscence was identified when comparing TiA with AdT (p = 0.3), and TiA with sutures (p = 0.9 and 0.3 respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

TiA, AdT, and sutures can all be used for wound closure with equivalent risk of wound infection and dehiscence. AdT appears to convey better cosmesis. Further adequately powered studies directly comparing techniques are required.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE

Level IV.

How Does Octyl-2-Cyanoacrylate Tissue Adhesive Compare With Prolene Sutures in Cleft Lip Repair?

PURPOSE

Comparative evidence of the usefulness of octyl-2-cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive in cleft lip epidermal skin closure especially in Africans is still lacking. This study aimed to compare the outcome of wound healing after the use of Dermabond tissue adhesive and 5/0 Prolene sutures in cleft lip repair.

METHODS

This was a prospective randomized controlled clinical study. The sampled population was patients undergoing cleft lip repair at a tertiary health facility in Lagos, Nigeria. Study patients were randomly allocated to either group A (Dermabond) or group B (suture). The predictor variable was the type of material used in skin closure; the primary outcome variable was the esthetics of the resulting scar, and secondary outcome variables were wound healing complications. Assessment of the 3-month postoperative wound scar was performed using the cosmetic visual analog scale (CVAS) and the Hollander Wound Evaluation scale (HWES). Calculated sample size was 14 participants per group. Descriptive and comparative statistics were computed, and the P value was set at <0.05.

RESULTS

Analysis of result included 38 participants. Median age was 4 months and 52.6% were women. Two cases (5.3%) of wound healing complications were recorded (1 in each group). Blinded evaluation of the 3-month postoperative photographs yielded a mean CVAS score of 86.0 (±11.2) and HWES score of 5.0 (±0.9) for group A and a mean CVAS score of 76.5 (±14.5) and HWES score of 4.5 (±1.1) for group B. There was no statistically significant difference between these 2 groups based on the CVAS (P = .052) and HWES (P = .152).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest Dermabond offers a comparable cosmetic outcome as 5/0 Prolene suture in epidermal closure of cleft lip. There was no statistically significant difference in wound complications and wound cosmetic scores between the 2 groups.

Perioperative Management of Cleft Lip Repair: A Meta-Analysis and Clinical Practice Guideline

OBJECTIVE

Few studies have focused on perioperative management of cleft lip repair. We sought to evaluate the available data on this topic to create evidence-based clinical guidelines.

DESIGN

Systematic review, meta-analysis.

METHODS

A PubMed search was performed focusing on perioperative management of cleft lip repair. Studies were included if they included comparative data. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Systematic review of literature regarding wound closure, postoperative arm restraints, perioperative antibiotics, outpatient or ambulatory surgery, or feeding restrictions postoperatively.

RESULTS

Twenty-three articles met inclusion criteria after initial screening of 3103 articles. This included 8 articles on wound closure, 2 on postoperative restraints, one on perioperative antibiotics, 6 on outpatient surgery, and 6 on postoperative feeding. Meta-analysis could be performed on dehiscence rates with postoperative feeding regimen and readmission rates after outpatient versus inpatient lip repair. There were few studies with low risk of bias. Outpatient cleft lip repair does not increase readmission (odds ratio [OR]: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.28-3.07). Allowing postoperative breastfeeding or bottle-feeding does not increase dehiscence (OR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.19-1.95). There was no evidence of publication bias.

CONCLUSION

Within the limitations of available data, there is no evidence of a clearly superior closure material. The evidence does not support use of postoperative arm restraints. The evidence does not support the use of preoperative nasal swabs for antibiotic guidance. With careful patient selection, outpatient cleft lip repair appears safe. The evidence supports immediate breastfeeding or bottle-feeding after cleft lip repair.

Three-dimensional facial development of children with unilateral cleft lip and palate during the first year of life in comparison with normative average faces

Background

Stereophotogrammetry can be used to study facial morphology in both healthy individuals as well as subjects with orofacial clefts because it shows good reliability, ability to capture images rapidly, archival capabilities, and high resolution, and does not require ionizing radiation. This study aimed to compare the three-dimensional (3D) facial morphology of infants born with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) with an age-matched normative 3D average face before and after primary closure of the lip and soft palate.

Methods

Thirty infants with a non-syndromic complete unilateral cleft lip, alveolus, and palate participated in the study. Three-dimensional images were acquired at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age. All subjects were treated according to the primary surgical protocol consisting of surgical closure of the lip and the soft palate at 6 months of age. Three-dimensional images of UCLP patients at 3, 6 (pre-treatment), 9, and 12 months of age were superimposed on normative datasets of average facial morphology using the children’s reference frame. Distance maps of the complete 3D facial surface and the nose, upper lip, chin, forehead, and cheek regions were developed.

Results

Assessments of the facial morphology of UCLP and control subjects by using color-distance maps showed large differences in the upper lip region at the location of the cleft defect and an asymmetry at the nostrils at 3 and 6 months of age. At 9 months of age, the labial symmetry was completely restored although the tip of the nose towards the unaffected side showed some remnant asymmetry. At 12 months of age, the symmetry of the nose improved, with only some remnant asymmetry noted on both sides of the nasal tip. At all ages, the mandibular and chin regions of the UCLP patients were 2.5–5 mm posterior to those in the average controls.

Conclusion

In patients with UCLP deviations from the normative average 3D facial morphology of age-matched control subjects existed for the upper lip, nose, and even the forehead before lip and soft palate closure was performed. Compared to the controls symmetry in the upper lip was restored, and the shape of the upper lip showed less variation after primary lip and soft palate closure. At this early age, retrusion of the soft-tissue mandible and chin, however, seems to be developing already.

A Review of Randomized Controlled Trials in Cleft and Craniofacial Surgery

This study presents a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in cleft and craniofacial surgery. All studies reporting on RCTs in cleft and craniofacial surgery were identified on PubMed using the search terms "cleft," "velopharyngeal insufficiency," "velopharyngeal dysfunction," "nasoalveolar molding," "gingivoperiosteoplasty," "Pierre Robin sequence," "craniofacial," "craniosynostosis," "craniofacial microsomia," "hemifacial microsomia," "hypertelorism," "Le Fort," "monobloc," "distraction osteogenesis," "Treacher Collins," and "Goldenhar." Studies were excluded if they were not randomized, did not focus primarily on topics related to cleft or craniofacial surgery, included repeat publications of data, or were unavailable in English. Studies were evaluated on demographic and bibliometric data, study size, specific area of focus, and findings reported. Four hundred forty-seven unique studies were identified. One hundred eighty-three papers met inclusion criteria (115 cleft lip and palate, 65 craniofacial, and 3 spanning both disciplines). Sixty-six (36%) were dedicated to topics related to surgical techniques. There were no studies comparing current cleft lip or soft palate repair techniques and no studies on cleft rhinoplasty. The most frequently reported surgical topic was cleft palate. There were several studies on orthognathic techniques which compared distraction osteogenesis to traditional advancement. Most craniofacial operations, such as cranial vault remodeling and frontofacial advancement/distraction, were not represented. Several standard operations in cleft and craniofacial surgery are not supported by Level I evidence from randomized controlled trials. Our community should consider methods by which more RCTs can be performed, or redefine the acceptable standards of evidence to guide our clinical decisions.

Early Surgical Complications after Primary Cleft Lip Repair: A Report of 3108 Consecutive Cases

Objective

To analyze short term surgical complications after primary cleft lip repair.

Patients and Design

A total of 3108 consecutive lip repairs with 2062 follow-ups were reviewed retrospectively through medical records. Patients were aged 3 months to 75 years at the time of surgery, with a median of 7 years.

Setting

Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Center, Assam, India.

Intervention

Primary cleft lip repair.

Main Outcome Measures

Documented complications in terms of dehiscence, necrosis, infection, and suture granuloma were compiled. Logistic regression was used with dehiscence (yes/no) or infection (yes/no) as binary dependant variables. Age, cleft type, and surgeon (visiting/long term) were used as covariates.

Results

Among the 2062 patients who returned for early follow-up, 90 (4.4%) had one or more complications. Dehiscence (3.2%) and infection (1.1%) were the most common types of complication. Visiting surgeon, complete cleft, and bilateral cleft were significantly associated with wound dehiscence, and complete cleft was associated with wound infection according to the logistic regression analysis. Of patients with bilateral complete clefts, 6.9% suffered from some degree of wound dehiscence.

Conclusion

In a setting where presurgical molding is unavailable and patients present at all ages, lip wound dehiscence is a relatively common complication in patients with bilateral complete clefts. The risk of dehiscence, however, is reduced when these cases are assigned to surgeons with experience with these types of clefts. We also found that the incidence of wound infection can be kept relatively low, even without the use of postoperative antibiotics.

Reporting of Randomized Controlled Trials in Cleft Lip and Palate: A 10-Year Review

Objectives

Reviews of the quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have recently been conducted in different surgical specialties. In this review of RCTs relating to cleft lip, cleft palate, and cleft lip and palate (CL/P), we investigate the quality of reporting against the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) checklist.

Design

A systematic review of CL/P RCTs published from 2004 to 2013, with the included articles scored against the CONSORT checklist.

Patients, Participants

The literature search identified 174 articles. Studies were selected for participants with CL/P who were involved in an RCT with prospective data collection and reported in a full journal article. A total of 6352 participants were included from 65 CUP RCTs during the study period.

Main Outcome Measures

The methodological quality of RCTs was assessed using the CONSORT checklist and Jadad scale.

Results

The mean CONSORT score was 15.8, and the mean Jadad score was 3.3. There was a significant positive correlation between the CONSORT and Jadad score ( P < .0001, ρ = .47). The only significant correlation showed that with an increasing number of authors, both the CONSORT and the Jadad score increased.

Conclusion

This analysis has shown that that there are deficiencies in the transparent reporting of factors such as randomization implementation, blinding, and participant flow. Interventions, outcomes, and the interpretation of results are well presented. We would recommend that RCTs are conceived and undertaken using the CONSORT checklist and reported in a clear and reproducible manner.