Wound Eversion Versus Planar Closure for Face or Neck Wounds

University of California (UC) Davis

Status: Completed

Conditions: Operative Wound

Treatments: Other: Planar closure; Other: Everted closure

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03302988

803389

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study is to determine whether wound edge eversion, achieved by careful placement of dermal sutures, improves the cosmetic outcome of operative wounds closed on the head or neck.

Full description

It has been established that as wounds heal, the resultant tissue remodeling results in wound contracture. Surgeons are taught that by everting wounds' edges with well-placed dermal sutures, there is less depression of the resultant scar. A prior study conducted by us at this center found that wound eversion was not associated with better cosmetic outcome (1). However, it was noted that most of the procedures were performed off the head and neck, places where the effects of eversion were thought to be most beneficial (2) Thus our goal is to now study the effects of eversion exclusively on the face and neck.

Enrollment: 33 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Over 18 years of age
• Able to give informed consent themselves
• Patient scheduled for cutaneous surgical procedure with predicted linear closure on the face or neck
• Willing to return for follow up visits

Exclusion criteria

• Mentally handicapped
• Unable to understand written and oral English
• Incarceration
• Under 18 years of age
• Pregnant Women
• Adults unable to consent
• Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers)
• Pregnant women
• Prisoners

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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33 participants in 2 patient groups

Everted closure

Experimental group

Description:

Wound eversion will be achieved through buried vertical mattress suture or cuticular suture based on surgeon's preference, either buried vertical mattress suture or cuticular sutures

Treatment:

Other: Everted closure

Planar closure

Active Comparator group

Description:

The planar side of the same wond will be closed with traditional buried simple closure and running cuticular sutures

Treatment:

Other: Planar closure