Dermabrasion for Free Flap Aesthetic Enhancement

Serial Dermabrasion for Aesthetic Enhancement of Free Flap Skin Paddles and Donor Sites: A Prospective Split-Flap/Scar Controlled Study

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the aesthetic benefit and safety of serial dermabrasion for free flap skin paddles and donor site scars in head and neck reconstruction.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Scar Conditions and Fibrosis of Skin
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Dermabrasion

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Jessyka G. Lighthall, MD; Phone Number: 7175318945; Email: jlighthall@pennstatehealth.psu.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Caia Hypatia; Phone Number: 28-7291 7175310003; Email: chypatia@pennstatehealth.psu.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adults aged 18 years or older.
2. History of successful free flap reconstruction with a cutaneous skin paddle in the head and neck region.
3. Patients with benign (eg. osteoradionecrosis, trauma) or malignant (eg. squamous cell carcinoma) diagnoses requiring free flap reconstruction.
4. Benign free flap patients must be a minimum 3 months post-operative to ensure flap maturity. Malignant free flap patients must be a minimum of 3 months post-operative or post-radiation with no further cancer treatment (eg. radiation, surgery, chemotherapy) planned at that time.
5. Flap skin paddle must be of sufficient size and external to allow for split-treatment design (minimum 4 cm in diameter). Donor site scar must also be sufficient size (minimum 6 cm in length)
6. Patients must have ability to provide informed consent.
7. Willingness and ability to comply with the treatment and follow-up schedule.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Inability to give informed consent.
2. Evidence of active flap or radiation skin complications (e.g., infection, partial necrosis, wound breakdown).
3. Completion of head and neck radiation therapy within 3 months of first dermabrasion treatment date.
4. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (HbA1c > 8.0%).
5. Current antibiotic use or known immunocompromised state.
6. History of keloid formation or hypertrophic scarring.
7. Fitzpatrick skin type VI or higher (due to increased risk of pigmentary changes).
8. Use of isotretinoin medication within the past 3 month (known to induce photosensitivity).
9. Current use of blood thinners that cannot be safely paused.
10. Known photosensitivity disorders.
11. Active malignancy requiring ongoing treatment.
12. Inability or unwillingness to avoid sun exposure during the treatment period.
13. Inability to perform or adhere to prescribed wound care.
14. Inability or unwillingness to attend follow-up visits.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Split scar; Free flap scars will be split and half treated, half untreated for comparison	Device: Dermabrasion; This is the only intervention. Free flap scars will be split and half treated, half untreated then outcomes graded.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Aesthetic grading of treated area compared to untreated	Aesthetic improvement of the treated half of the free flap skin paddle/donor site scar, as compared to the untreated half. This will be measured through blinded evaluations of standardized clinical photographs. Each side of the skin paddle or donor site scar will be labeled as side 1 or 2.	1, 3, and 6 months post-treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jessyka G Lighthall, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 14, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 14, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): November 18, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 18, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 14, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: scar; aesthetics; dermabrasion; head and neck reconstruction
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Fibrosis; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Cicatrix; Therapeutics; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Plastic Surgery Procedures; Cosmetic Techniques; Dermatologic Surgical Procedures; Dermabrasion
• Other Study ID Numbers: 00027645

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: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No