Use of adhesive surgical tape with the absorbable continuous subcuticular suture

Abstract

There is no evidence in the scientific literature to justify or support the practice of closing a surgical wound with both subcuticular suture and adhesive surgical tape.

Cutaneous wound closure materials: An overview and update

“…Adhesive tapes are used most frequently as adjunctive wound support after staples or sutures are removed, in conjunction with buried dermal sutures, or with absorbable running subcuticular sutures in low-tension wounds. [19] Applying the surgical adhesive tapes in a parallel, non-overlapping fashion after coating the entire application area with adjuvant adhesive is the optimal application technique that provided the best adherence over time. [19] There are many important factors in tape application, including dry skin, accurate apposition of edges, strict homeostasis, and the use of an adhesive adjunct; in addition, the tension should be distributed along the entire tape to prevent blisters [Table 2].…”

“…[17] Microporous strips allow the passage of gas and water from the skin surface, which make the environment unsuitable for bacterial proliferation and therefore lead to less wound infections. [19] Carpendale et al ., and Marples et al ., demonstrated that wounds closed with skin tapes were resistant to infection. [2122] In addition, Conolly et al ., reported a lower rate of infection for taped wounds (3.8% vs. 14% for sutured wounds) in patients with clean contaminated wounds.…”

“…The major disadvantages of tape are the difficulty to ensure accurate skin edge apposition and skin edge eversion. [19] Furthermore, the operating room time-saving advantage has been questioned. [19] Gibson et al ., found that skin edges were often difficult to approximate accurately.…”

“…[19] Furthermore, the operating room time-saving advantage has been questioned. [19] Gibson et al ., found that skin edges were often difficult to approximate accurately. [25] To secure adhesion of the tape, skin edges must be dry and strict haemostasis must be absolute.…”

“…[25] To secure adhesion of the tape, skin edges must be dry and strict haemostasis must be absolute. [19] Adhesive tape can also cause injury to the epidermis during placement or removal. A study by Sarifakioglu et al ., compared the adhesive strength of tincture of benzoin and transparent film dressing spray, clearly demonstrating that the tincture of benzoin increases the adhesiveness of adhesive tapes by approximately 7-fold, whereas only a 2-fold increase was observed using transparent film dressing spray.…”