As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 1999
                                                           Registration No. 333-


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                           CLOSURE MEDICAL CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
    Delaware                                             56-1959623
(State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
 incorporation or organization)

 5250 Greens Dairy Road
 Raleigh, North Carolina                                   27616
(Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)

                           CLOSURE MEDICAL CORPORATION
               AMENDED AND RESTATED 1996 EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                 ROBERT V. TONI
                      President and Chief Executive Officer
                           Closure Medical Corporation
                             5250 Greens Dairy Road
                                Raleigh, NC 27616
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (919) 876-7800
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)


                         COPY OF ALL COMMUNICATIONS TO:
                                  DEBRA J. POUL
                           Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
                               1701 Market Street
                             Philadelphia, PA 19103
                                 (215) 963-5000

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
============================ ========================= ========================== ========================= ========================
                                                                                                 
    Title of securities            Amount to be            Proposed maximum           Proposed maximum             Amount of
     to be registered               registered              offering price               aggregate              registration fee
                                                             per share (1)           offering price (1)
============================ ========================= ========================== ========================= ========================
Common Stock, $.01                1,500,000 (2)                 $29.875                $44,812,500.00              $13,220.00
   par value
============================ ========================= ========================== ========================= ========================

(1) Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(h) solely for the purpose of calculating the
    registration fee, based upon the average of the high and low sales prices of
    shares of Common Stock on February 22, 1999, as reported on the Nasdaq
    National Market.
(2) Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration
    Statement also covers such additional shares as may hereinafter be offered
    or issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends,
    recapitalizations or certain other capital adjustments.




         This Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration Statement")
relates to the registration of an additional 1,500,000 shares (the "Shares") of
Common Stock, $.01 par value, of the Registrant. The Shares are securities of
the same class and relating to the same employee benefit plan, the Closure
Medical Corporation Amended and Restated 1996 Equity Compensation Plan, as those
shares registered in the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8,
previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 12,
1996. The earlier Registration Statement on Form S-8, Registration No.
333-17721, is hereby incorporated by reference.

         The financial statements contained in the Registrant's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997 incorporated by reference in this
Registration Statement have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent public accountants, given on the
authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

                                      II-2




                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT



ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

         The following exhibits are filed as part of this Registration
         Statement.

Exhibit
Number            Exhibit

  5.1             Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

 10.1             Closure Medical Corporation Amended and Restated 1996 Equity
                  Compensation Plan

 23.1             Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

 23.2             Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (included in its
                  opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 hereto)

 24.1             Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this
                  Registration Statement)



                                      II-3





                        SIGNATURES AND POWER OF ATTORNEY

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in Raleigh, North Carolina, on February 25, 1999.

                                      CLOSURE MEDICAL CORPORATION


                                      By:  /s/Robert V. Toni
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Robert V. Toni
                                           President and Chief Executive Office

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the date indicated.

         EACH PERSON IN SO SIGNING ALSO MAKES, CONSTITUTES AND APPOINTS ROBERT
V. TONI AND J. BLOUNT SWAIN, AND EACH OF THEM ACTING ALONE, HIS TRUE AND LAWFUL
ATTORNEY-IN-FACT, WITH FULL POWER OF SUBSTITUTION, TO EXECUTE AND CAUSE TO BE
FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS
OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, ANY AND ALL AMENDMENTS AND
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENTS TO THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT, WITH EXHIBITS THERETO
AND OTHER DOCUMENTS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, AND HEREBY RATIFIES AND CONFIRMS
ALL THAT SAID ATTORNEY-IN-FACT OR HIS SUBSTITUTE OR SUBSTITUTES MAY DO OR CAUSE
TO BE DONE BY VIRTUE HEREOF.

    Name                                    Capacity                                             Date

                                                                                       

/s/Robert V.Toni                     President and Chief Executive Officer                   February 25, 1999
- ----------------                    (principal executive officer) and Director
Robert V.Toni


/s/J.Blount Swain                    Vice President and Chief Financial Officer              February 25, 1999
- ------------------                  (principal financial and accounting
J. Blount Swain                      officer)


/s/Rolf D.Schmidt                    Chairman of the Board and Director                      February 25, 1999
- -----------------
Rolf D.Schmidt


/s/Ronald A.Ahrens                   Director                                                February 25, 1999
- ------------------
Ronald A.Ahrens


/s/Dennis C.Carey                    Director                                                February 25, 1999
- -----------------
Dennis C.Carey


/s/Richard W.Miller                  Director                                                February 25, 1999
- -------------------
Richard W. Miller


/s/F. William Schmidt                Director                                                February 25, 1999
- ---------------------
F. William Schmidt






    Name                                    Capacity                                             Date
                                                                                           

/s/Randy H. Thurman                  Director                                                February 25, 1999
- -------------------
Randy H. Thurman







                           CLOSURE MEDICAL CORPORATION
                       REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit
Number            Exhibit

  5.1             Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

 10.1             Closure Medical Corporation Amended and Restated 1996
                  Equity Compensation Plan

 23.1             Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

 23.2             Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (included in its
                  opinion filed as Exhibit 5.1 hereto)

 24.1             Power of Attorney (included on signature page of this
                  Registration Statement)