Study: Glue Beats Stitches

A medical version of Super Glue is proving superior to stitches in closing many types of wounds.

Gluing wounds shut was faster, less painful and resulted in healed skin that looked just as good, a study of 130 emergency patients found. Also, gluing seems to avert some of the infections that occur in stitched wounds.

The glue eliminates the need for stitch removal, because it sloughs off along with the outer layer of skin after a couple of weeks.

Super Glue’s ability to bond skin is well known. The household glue contains a warning that it can instantly stick fingers together, and youngsters occasionally do just that or seal their eyelids shut.

The study of the medical uses of such glue was led by Dr. James Quinn of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and was published in today’s Journal of the American Medical Association.