Silicone Taping for the Improvement of Abdominal Donor Site Scars

February 16, 2025 updated by: Jason Williams, Nova Scotia Health Authority

Silicone Taping for the Improvement of Abdominal Donor Site Scars Following Autologous Breast Reconstruction; A Randomized, Prospective Controlled Trial

This study will look at silicone tape compared to the current no dressing standard at the investigators institution, to determine if silicone tape provides a significant improvement in post-abdominoplasty scar appearance. Silicone tape will be added to half of the abdominoplasty incision of patients undergoing abdominally-based breast reconstruction procedures two weeks after their operation. They will be followed up and assessed at specific timepoints to determine whether the silicone improves scar outcomes in these patients.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This is a prospective, single center, masked, randomized self-controlled clinical human trial to evaluate the appearance of abdominal scars after autologous free-flap breast reconstruction following post-operative application of silicone tape to improve scar quality. Incisions from 32 adult subjects will act as their own control and will be randomized to have silicone tape applied to one half of their abdominoplasty incision and control treatment using the current standard of care at the investigators institution to the other half, which is no dressing after the initial two week post-op period. A participant size of 32 leaves room in case of participant loss to follow-up, ensuring data will be available for the required sample size of 28 (see statistical analysis section below). A random number sequence generator will be used to randomize which half of the patient's wound will receive the treatment.

Patients will be recruited from plastic surgery clinics at the Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Plastic surgeons will be asked to participate and enroll their breast reconstruction patients, who will undergo a type of abdominoplasty as part of their reconstruction procedure.

Patients will undergo a de novo abdominoplasty procedure as part of a reconstructive breast surgery. Two weeks post-operatively, one side of the patient's abdominoplasty incision will be randomized to receive the silicone tape and the remaining half will be left to heal without any dressing application, which is the current standard at the investigators institution. Each patient will act as their own control. Patients will apply silicone tape on a daily basis, with each piece lasting 24 hours. Tape may be removed for showers and replied after drying. Total length of treatment will be two and a half months.

It is not possible to mask patients, as they will be responsible for ongoing application of the silicone tape. However, the staff surgeon will be masked. Patients will present to their first post-op visit at two weeks. After examination by the staff surgeon, the patient will be seen by the research coordinator who will provide the patient with their randomization treatment assignment. To ensure ongoing masking, at subsequent follow-up visits, patients will remove their dressings one day prior to their appointment with their surgeon. This will ensure no local reaction (i.e. redness after tape removal) that would compromise the masking of staff surgeons.

Patients will then follow up for scar assessment at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. Unless otherwise required, scar assessments will then be performed at each visit by both the patient and the surgeon using validated objective and subjective scar measures. Patients will also meet with the research coordinator at each follow up visit, to address any questions or concerns about the study and treatment.

The Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS & OSAS) system will be used to measure scar appearance. The PSAS and OSAS are tools that the patient uses to assess the scar on color, irregularity, itch, pain, thickness, stiffness and overall opinion, and the surgeon uses to assess pigmentation, pliability, relief, surface area, thickness, vascularity and overall opinion (Appendix A). Of note, only the sum of the components of the OSAS portion of the assessment scale is included to calculate the power and sample size, and will therefore be the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes will include the sum of the components of the PSAS score and the overall scores out of 10 for both the PSAS and OSAS from the patient and masked surgeon.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

32

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Nova Scotia
      • Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3H 3A7
        • Recruiting
        • Halifax Infirmary
        • Contact:
          • Jason Williams
          • Phone Number: 902-473-6315

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 to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • undergoing de novo abdominoplasty procedures as part of their breast reconstruction

Exclusion Criteria:

  • patients with a history of collagen disease, connective tissue disorders, psoriasis or lupus
  • patients with scleroderma
  • patients with a history of adverse reaction to adhesives or silicone allergy
  • patients with signs of dehiscence or infection resulting in modification to the experimental or control dressings
  • patients who are unable to care for their incisions
  • patients who are current smokers
  • patients who are currently on steroids.

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Silicone tape
Adult subjects will act as their own control and will be randomized to have silicone tape applied to one half of their abdominoplasty incision. Patients will apply silicone tape on a daily basis, with each piece lasting 24 hours. Tape may be removed for showers and replied after drying. Total length of treatment will be two and a half months.
Device: Silicone tape
Medical grade tape with silicone adhesive
No Intervention: No dressing
Control treatment using the current standard of care at our institution to the other half, which is no dressing after the initial two week post-op period, will be used on the other half of the incision for comparison. Each individual patient will act as their own control.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS & OSAS) System
Time Frame: 6 week follow up, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
The POSAS is a tool that the patient uses to assess the scar on color, irregularity, itch, pain, thickness, stiffness and overall opinion, and the surgeon uses to assess pigmentation, pliability, relief, surface area, thickness, vascularity and overall opinion. Each component is scored out of 10, with a lower score indicating a better scar. Of note, only the sum of the components of the OSAS portion of the assessment scale is included to calculate the power and sample size, and will therefore be the primary outcome.
6 week follow up, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS & OSAS) System
Time Frame: 3 month follow up
The POSAS is a tool that the patient uses to assess the scar on color, irregularity, itch, pain, thickness, stiffness and overall opinion, and the surgeon uses to assess pigmentation, pliability, relief, surface area, thickness, vascularity and overall opinion. Each component is scored out of 10, with a lower score indicating a better scar. Of note, only the sum of the components of the OSAS portion of the assessment scale is included to calculate the power and sample size, and will therefore be the primary outcome.
3 month follow up
Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS & OSAS) System
Time Frame: 6 month follow up
The POSAS is a tool that the patient uses to assess the scar on color, irregularity, itch, pain, thickness, stiffness and overall opinion, and the surgeon uses to assess pigmentation, pliability, relief, surface area, thickness, vascularity and overall opinion. Each component is scored out of 10, with a lower score indicating a better scar. Of note, only the sum of the components of the OSAS portion of the assessment scale is included to calculate the power and sample size, and will therefore be the primary outcome.
6 month follow up
Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS & OSAS) System
Time Frame: 12 month follow up
The POSAS is a tool that the patient uses to assess the scar on color, irregularity, itch, pain, thickness, stiffness and overall opinion, and the surgeon uses to assess pigmentation, pliability, relief, surface area, thickness, vascularity and overall opinion. Each component is scored out of 10, with a lower score indicating a better scar. Of note, only the sum of the components of the OSAS portion of the assessment scale is included to calculate the power and sample size, and will therefore be the primary outcome.
12 month follow up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS & OSAS) System
Time Frame: 6 week follow up
Secondary outcomes will include the sum of the components of the PSAS score and the overall scores out of 10 for both the PSAS and OSAS from the patient and masked surgeon. A lower score in each component indicates an improved scar.
6 week follow up
Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS & OSAS) System
Time Frame: 3 month follow up
Secondary outcomes will include the sum of the components of the PSAS score and the overall scores out of 10 for both the PSAS and OSAS from the patient and masked surgeon. A lower score in each component indicates an improved scar.
3 month follow up
Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS & OSAS) System
Time Frame: 6 month follow up
Secondary outcomes will include the sum of the components of the PSAS score and the overall scores out of 10 for both the PSAS and OSAS from the patient and masked surgeon. A lower score in each component indicates an improved scar.
6 month follow up
Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS & OSAS) System
Time Frame: 12 month follow up
Secondary outcomes will include the sum of the components of the PSAS score and the overall scores out of 10 for both the PSAS and OSAS from the patient and masked surgeon. A lower score in each component indicates an improved scar.
12 month follow up

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Nova Scotia Health Authority

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Jason G Williams, MD, Nova Scotia Health Authority

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.

General Publications

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)

November 16, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 5, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 6, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

August 10, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 16, 2025

Last Verified

February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 1025794

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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