Skin-Adhesive Tape versus Interrupted Suture in Episiotomy Skin Repair: Randomized Control Trial

Abstract

Introduction: The ideal method for perineal repair should be quick, easy to perform and preferably, with minimal pain. Aim: To compare skin adhesive tape and interrupted absorbable subcuticular suture for episiotomy repair after birth as regard postoperative pain, skin closure time and wound infection. Design: Prospective double-blinded randomized controlled trial. Methods: Three-hundred qualified patients were equally distributed between two groups. Group 1 underwent skin repair with skin adhesive tape, while group 2 underwent the currently traditional method for perineal repair by interrupted suture. Pain was evaluated at 2, 4, 6 and 12 hours after birth then daily until one week using Wong-Baker faces pain rating scale with verbal expression for pain intensity as primary outcome. Skin closure time and wound infection were also evaluated as secondary outcomes. Results: Statistically significant difference in pain was found at 4 and 6 hours, and 3, 4, 5 and 7 days after perineal repair in favor of the adhesive tape group (P = 0.04 and 0.02 respectively) (P = 0.002, 0.002, 0.003 and 0.001 respectively). No statistically significant difference was found in skin closure time between both groups, and no cases of wound infection occurred in both groups (P = 0.3). Conclusion: Skin adhesive tape may be superior to skin suturing in decreasing pain resulting from perineal repair after birth; however, further studies are needed to assess long-term effects, calculate costs and accurately measure patients’ satisfaction, which were not addressed in this study.