Objective The use of tissue adhesives has become a popular option for closure of wounds in the ED. There have been a growing number of reports of inadvertent tissue adhesive injuries including closure of the eyelids. We aim to identify and compare various removal methods of tissue adhesives described in the literature in an exploratory trial.

Methods A review was first conducted to establish all published methods for the removal of medical-grade tissue adhesives as well as commercial cyanoacrylates. This search was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar and Google. All articles that reported attempts at removal of cyanoacrylate glues were included. These methods were then tested on a porcine model in an exploratory trial. Incisions were made on pigskin and closed with Histoacryl, a tissue adhesive. Three removal methods were tested—gentle rubbing with test compound after 45 or 90 s, as well as soaking in test compound. Removal methods that were successful underwent repeat testing.

Results A total of 37 sources were reviewed with 13 different removal methods suggested. Based on the information, we tested 24 different compounds. Soaking of Histoacryl-closed wounds in Polydexa ear/eye drops displayed consistent success in achieving complete separation of incision edges after 2 hours. Several other soapy substances and antibiotic ointments showed potential but were not as consistent.

Conclusion In conclusion, in our trial of removal methods of Histoacryl, soaking in Polydexa antibiotic drops consistently facilitated removal after 2 hours. This approach can be attempted after inadvertent Histoacryl injury.