Wound Closure Techniques
Conditions
Brief summary
To compare healing time, scar size, aesthetic outcome, and complication rates following second intention healing or purse string closure of surgical wounds on the trunk or extremities. This study, will allow surgeons to make informed decisions on whether purse string closure is superior to that of second intention healing and thus worth considering or inferior and not worth performing.
Interventions
PROCEDUREPurse-String
The wound will be closed using one, long, continuous suture which will enter and exit run through the skin along the inner edge of the wound. The start and stopping point will be adjacent to one another. The suture will then be pulled on either side to essentially cinch down the wound, decreasing the size of the wound.
PROCEDURESecond Intent
The wound will not be sutured, and allowed to heal on its own.
Sponsors
University of California, Davis
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Over 18 years of age * Able to give informed consent themselves * Willing to return for follow-up visits * Post-operative defects greater than 8 mm (in greatest diameter or length of circular or oval geometric shape) on the trunk and extremities (including the shin, hands, and feet)
Exclusion criteria
* Mentally handicapped * Unable to understand written and oral English * Incarceration * Under 18 years of age * Unwilling to return for follow-up * Pregnant women * Wounds less than 8 mm in length * Wounds on the head, neck or digits * Patients in which primary linear closure is recommended
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment of Scar on the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale | 3 months | After surgical procedure, subjects will be randomized into one of two wound healing groups: by second intention (no sutures) or by purse-string closure (with sutures). After 3 months, subjects will return to clinic for evaluation of the pain scale and cosmesis of both types of healing techniques. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed