2 research outputs found
Evaluation of cosmetic appearance of herniotomy wound scars in African children: Comparison of tissue glue and subcuticular suturing
Aim: To evaluate the cosmetic appearance of herniotomy wound scars
closed using either the tissue glue or subcuticular suturing technique.
Materials and Methods: Prospective randomised control study;
randomisation into tissue glue and suturing groups. Ethical clearance
obtained. Cosmetic outcome were based on visual analogue scale by
parents and Hollander wound evaluation scale by a Plastic Surgeon
blinded to the wound closure method. Results: Fifty one wounds were
evaluated, 26 in the tissue glue group and 25 in the suturing group.
Parents′ evaluation using Visual Analogue scale (VAS) showed that
in the suturing group, 17 parents (68%) gave a VAS of 8cm while six
parents (24%) gave a score of 7cm. Two parents (8%) gave a score of
9cm. In the tissue glue group, 22 parents (84.6%) scored the scar of
their children as 8 or 9cm on the VAS while four parents (15.4%) gave a
score of 7cm. The median VAS was 8cm for both groups with a range of 7
to 9cm. The Chi- square test showed that the parents preferred tissue
glue compared with subcuticular suturing (X2 = 7.90, P < 0.05). The
Hollander Wound Evaluation Scale (HWES) used by Plastic Surgeon showed
21 herniotomy wounds (84%) had a score of 6 in the suturing group while
four wounds (16%) had a score of 5. In the tissue glue group, 19 wounds
(73%) had a score of 6, six wounds (23.1%) had a score of 5 and a
patient (3.8%) had a score of 4. The median score is 6 for both groups.
There was no statistically significant difference between both groups
(X 2 = 1.481, P = 0.393). Conclusion: This study has shown that the
cosmetic outcome of wound closure using the tissue glue technique and
subcuticular suturing technique are similar