BACKGROUND: Episiotomy is a surgical incision of the perineum performed to widen the vaginal opening to facilitate the delivery of an infant. Bleeding is its common complication. A certain technique must be followed so as not to incur either dyspareunia, dehiscence or infection. Hence the application of policresulen solution during repair may minimize bleeding and facilitate better wound healing.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the operative and post-operative outcome between episiorraphy with and without application of policresulen solution during repair among puerperal patients admitted in a tertiary hospital.

METHODOLOGY: One hundred participants were randomized to two treatment groups. Those assigned to treatment A (n=50) underwent episiorrhaphy with policresulen solution application while those in treatment B (n=50) served as the control group. The main outcome measures were estimated blood loss, operative time and duration of wound healing.

RESULTS: There was a significantly shorter mean operative time with the participants in the Policresulen group (20.92 ± 0.90 minutes) as compared to the Control group (53.8 ± 1.79 minutes) with a P-value of < 0.001. Estimated mean blood loss was significantly lesser in the Policresulen group (195.2 ± 5.69 ml) than in the Control group (373.8 ± 16.14 ml) having a P-value of < 0.001. The duration of wound healing was also shorter among those in the Policresulen group (1.42 ± 0.09 weeks) than those in the Control group (2.14 ± 0.17 weeks), with a P-value of 0.003. A significantly greater proportion of participants had shorter operative time, lesser blood loss and shorter duration of wound healing in the policresulen group. (p-value < 0.005)

CONCLUSION: Policresulen solution application has a good hemostatic effect on the episiotomy wound hence shortened the operative time. It also has a good wound healing effect reflected by a shortened duration of wound healing of the episiotomy wound.