Bonding Beyond Sutures: Exploring Skin Glue in Mohs Micrographic Surgery
ABSTRACT Background Cyanoacrylate tissue adhesives (CTAs) have emerged as a valuable adjunct or possible alternative to sutures for wound closure in Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). This review explores their utility, highlighting advantages such as reduced operative time, enhanced patient satisfaction, and comparable safety profiles to traditional sutures. Methods A search of PubMed was conducted in 2025 using the terms “Mohs micrographic surgery, cyanoacrylate, and tissue adhesive.” Articles with relevant, novel information were included in this practical review. Result CTAs offer several advantages, including a significant reduction in operative time and enhanced patient satisfaction. They also have comparable safety profiles to traditional sutures regarding infection, bleeding, and wound dehiscence. Novel applications, including stabilizing skin grafts, flaps, and friable tissue specimens, underscore their versatility. Despite these benefits, limitations such as reduced tensile strength, cost, and contraindications in select patient populations warrant careful consideration. Conclusion Continued research into optimizing CTA formulations and applications may expand their role in MMS and dermatologic surgery, enhancing both clinical efficiency and cosmetic outcomes.
Authors
- Faraz Yousefian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7032-7795)
- Braden Van Alfen
- Aysham Chaudry
Institutions
- Texas College (US)
- Center for Clinical and Cosmetic Research (US)
- American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians & Gynecologists (US)
- University of the Incarnate Word (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Dermatological Reviews
- Published
- 2026-02-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/der2.70063
- Primary Topic
- Surgical Sutures and Adhesives
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00