Key points
  1. In the reported studies there are no statistically significant differences in short term patient and clinician reported cosmetic outcomes between sutures, staples and tissue adhesives.
  2. Staples and tissue adhesives offer a faster closure time than sutures, whilst staples are significantly more expensive than sutures.
  3. No studies reported on the impact of surgical wound closure techniques on patient body image or quality of life.
  4. There is no significant difference in post-operative wound complications between sutures staples and tissue adhesives.
  5. The current literature is of poor quality and has a moderate to high risk of bias. Further high-quality studies are required to assess the impact of wound closure techniques on wound cosmesis, patient quality of life, and body image.