Clinical Trial: Optimal Suture Choice for Improved Scar Outcomes

Study Status: Terminated
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title:

Brief Summary: 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.

Detailed Summary:
Sponsor: Dallas VA Medical Center

Current Primary Outcome: Scar spread [ Time Frame: 3 months and 1 year ]

Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome: Scar appearance [ Time Frame: 3 months and 1 year ]

Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Dallas VA Medical Center

Dates:
Date Received: July 13, 2009
Date Started: April 2009
Date Completion: July 2010
Last Updated: July 13, 2009
Last Verified: July 2009