An investigation of the effectiveness of prolonged taping of scars to improve their appaerance following surgery

Does taping wounds on the trunk post-operatively reduce wound spread and increase patient satisfaction with the scar?

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12608000496314

Enrollment

204

Registered

2008-09-30

Start date

2008-07-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2020-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

Several studies have shown that scars on the torso look worse than elsewhere and lead to poor subjective scar satisfaction. We hypothesise that using tapes applied perpendicular across wounds on the torso immediately following surgery and continued for several weeks will result in better looking scars and increased patient satisfaction with the scar.

Interventions

Tapes applied to wound immediately after surgery and for 12 weeks therafter. Patients are required to change tapes once per week or sooner if they become loose or soiled. We are using 10mm x100mm "leukostrips" which are manufactured by Smith & Nephew

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Intervention model

Parallel

Primary purpose

Prevention

Masking

Blinded (masking used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to 80 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Minor surgery to skin on torso that would result in a wound of at least 8mm.

Exclusion criteria

1)Lesions on the back where there is no-one available to help with tape application 2) Physical disability that would restrict ability to comply with the intervention 3)Mental disability preventing informed consent 4)Chronic cough 5)Concurrent use of immunosupreesive drugs 6)Known tendency to keloid scarring 7)Known allergy to sutures, tapes or dressings to be used for study 8)Flap surgery 9)Excision of subcutaneous lesions

Outcome results