Wound Healing, Surgical Wound Infection, Postoperative Complications, Skin Neoplasms, Skin Transplantation
Conditions
Keywords
Infrared thermography, Surgical wound healing, Dermatosurgery, Thermal imaging, Wound complications
Brief summary
This study investigates whether infrared thermography, a harmless and non-invasive thermal camera technique, can help monitor how surgical wounds heal after skin surgery. The goal is to detect wound problems earlier, such as infection or delayed healing, and to support doctors in making timely clinical decisions.
Detailed description
This study evaluates whether infrared thermography, a non-invasive technique that measures skin surface temperature, can help monitor how surgical wounds heal after dermatologic procedures. Surgical wounds may develop complications such as infection, delayed healing, or graft problems, and these issues are often detected only when visible changes appear on the skin. Because temperature changes can occur earlier than visible symptoms, thermal imaging may provide an earlier signal that a wound is not healing normally. Participants in this study will have thermal images taken at several routine follow-up moments after their skin surgery. The imaging procedure is quick, painless, and does not touch the skin. By comparing temperature patterns over time, the study aims to understand whether specific thermal changes are linked to normal recovery or to early signs of wound problems. The information gained from this study may help determine if handheld thermal cameras could be used as a supportive tool in clinical practice. Earlier identification of healing problems may allow clinicians to adjust treatment sooner and improve patient outcomes, while also providing a simple, accessible way to document wound progress.
Interventions
DEVICEInfrared thermography
Participants will undergo non-contact infrared thermography using a handheld thermal imaging device to capture temperature patterns of the surgical wound at predefined postoperative time points. The device is used solely for diagnostic imaging and does not touch the skin or alter wound care. Thermal images are recorded under standardized conditions and analyzed to identify temperature changes that may indicate normal healing or early signs of complications such as infection, delayed healing, or graft failure. This intervention differs from standard clinical follow-up because it adds objective thermal measurements that are not part of routine postoperative assessment.
Sponsors
Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Voluntary written informed consent of the participant or their legally authorized representative has been obtained prior to any screening procedures 2. Adult subjects (\>18 years of age) at time of enrolment 3. Patients undergoing a surgical excision under local anesthesia 4. Indications of the excisions were skin lesions suspected to be malignant, skin lesions confirmed to be malignant via prior biopsy
Exclusion criteria
1. Patient has history of pre-existing diabetes type I and II 2. Patients with pre-existing chronic wound problems 3. Patients with renal dysfunction, 4. Patients with venous insufficiency confirmed via radiographic imaging 5. Patients who received radiotherapy in the affected area in the past 6. Patients with chronic steroid use in the past (\> 3 months) or a immunosuppressant medication history 7. Female who is pregnant
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal pattern changes associated with normal versus abnormal surgical wound healing | Postoperative days 2-4 and day 7 for Mohs surgery; day 7 and day 14 for trunk and extremities; postoperative weeks 1-4 for scalp grafts. | Changes in wound temperature patterns detected through infrared thermography will be evaluated to determine whether they correspond to normal healing or early signs of complications such as infection, delayed healing, or graft problems. Thermal images will be analyzed for differences in temperature distribution, symmetry, and progression over time. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Overall feasibility and clinical utility of infrared thermography | Postoperative days 2-4 and day 7 (Mohs); day 7 and day 14 (trunk/extremities); postoperative weeks 1-4 (scalp). | This outcome assesses the overall feasibility and clinical utility of infrared thermography in postoperative wound monitoring, based on a combined evaluation of image acquisition success, clinician-reported usability, and its contribution to earlier identification of wound abnormalities. A single composite qualitative outcome will be reported. |
Countries
Belgium
Contacts
CONTACTAnnemiek Leeman, Prof. Dr.
CONTACTSofie Van Kelst, BSc
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORAnnemiek Leeman, Prof. Dr.
UZLeuven, Department of Dermatology
Outcome results
None listed