6-0 Fast Absorbing Gut Versus 5-0 Fast Absorbing Gut for Linear Wound Closure

April 29, 2019 updated by: University of California, Davis

Use of 6-0 Fast Absorbing Gut Versus 5-0 Fast Absorbing Gut for Linear Cutaneous Wound Closure: a Randomized Evaluator Blind Split Wound Comparative Effectiveness Trial.

Traditionally, dermatologic surgeons close wounds with stitches. Fast absorbing gut is a dissolvable stitch that is very commonly used. Some surgeons believe that using a thinner size of this stitch causes less skin reaction and improves the cosmetic outcome of the scar. Other surgeons believe that using a thicker size of this stitch reduces the tension on the scar and improves the cosmetic outcome of the scar in that manner. The investigator wishes to determine whether the thickness of the fast absorbing gut suture that is used makes a difference in the cosmetic outcome of the scar.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the use of 6-0 fast absorbing gut during repair of linear cutaneous surgery wounds on the face or neck improves scar cosmesis compared to wound closure with 5-0 fast absorbing gut. The investigator will use a split wound model, where half of the wound is repaired with 6-0 fast absorbing gut and the other half is repaired with 5-0 fast absorbing gut. Three-months post-surgery, the scar will be measured via the patient observer scar assessment scale, a validated scar instrument. The scar width, and adverse events will also be recorded.

This study aims to investigate whether 5-0 versus 6-0 fast absorbing gut suture leads to better surgical wound cosmesis on the head and neck. The 5-0 fast absorbing gut suture has a large diameter, and therefore greater tensile strength. The greater tensile strength would provide better support of the healing scar during the first 5-7 days after surgery and for this reason, could potentially lead to improved scar cosmesis. However, the greater diameter could also lead to track marks that are larger and more visible. Furthermore, fast absorbing gut has a high degree of tissue reactivity to begin with, and it is known that larger diameter sutures generate more tissue reactivity compared to smaller diameter sutures of the same material; therefore, it is also possible that the 6-0 fast absorbing gut suture would provide better scar cosmesis by virtue of its lower tissue reactivity3,4.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

50

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Able to give informed consent themselves
  • Patient scheduled for cutaneous surgical procedure on the head and neck with predicted primary closure
  • Willing to return for follow up visit.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Mentally handicapped
  • Unable to understand written and oral English
  • Incarceration
  • Under 18 years of age
  • Pregnant Women
  • Wounds with predicted closure length less than 3 cm

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 6-0 fast absorbing gut suture
6-0 fast absorbing gut used to suture wound
Fast absorbing surgical gut suture is a strand of collagenous material, size 6-0
Experimental: 5-0 fast absorbing gut suture
5-0 fast absorbing gut used to suture wound
Fast absorbing surgical gut suture is a strand of collagenous material, size 5-0

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Scar Assessment
Time Frame: 3 months following the procedure
The primary endpoint will be the score of two blinded reviewers using the patient observer scar assessment score at a three-month assessment visit.
3 months following the procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Width of the Scar
Time Frame: 3 months following the procedure
The secondary endpoints will include the width of the scar 1 cm from midline on each side at the follow-up visit and any complications from the treatment.
3 months following the procedure

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Daniel Eisen, MD, University of California, Davis

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 27, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 21, 2017

Study Completion (Actual)

April 16, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 2, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 2, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

October 5, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 1, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 29, 2019

Last Verified

April 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 902404

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

Undecided

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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