Optimal Suture Choice for Improved Scar Outcomes
Status unconfirmed · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Cicatrix
In brief
Certain parts of the body, such as the chest, back, and shoulders, are notorious for producing cosmetically poor scars after cutaneous surgery. While very little research has been done to understand these poor outcomes, it is generally thought that increased tension across the skin inherent to these body areas leads to significant widening of the final scar. Historically, the only way to combat this tension was to support the deeper portion of the wound with sutures that dissolve over several weeks. However, scars take many months to fully develop their greatest strength. So even with the standard technique, wounds in areas of high tension still show spreading of the scar with time. The investigators believe that these wounds require an extended duration of support throughout the scar's maturation period. Until recently, there did not exist a suture that could provide this long duration of support without also carrying the risk of the body rejecting it. Recently, a new extremely long acting absorbable biomaterial has been FDA approved for use as a suture. The investigators plan to use this suture to test the theory that alleviating stress on high tension wounds throughout the period which they gain their maximal integrity produces less scar spread and ultimately better cosmetic outcomes.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT00938691
- Run by
- Dallas VA Medical Center
- People needed
- 25
- Starts
- 2009-04-01
- Expected to finish
- 2010-07-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2009-07-14
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Patients requiring excision of a lesion on chest, back, or shoulders
You may not qualify if…
- History of ionizing radiation
- History of keloid or hypertrophic scarring
- History of or current internal malignancy
- History of bleeding disorder
- History of collagen or elastin disorder
- Current use of immunosuppressive medications
Where it is running
- Dallas VA Medical Center — Dallas, Texas, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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