Quantification of Erythema Associated With Continuous Versus Interrupted Nylon Sutures in Facial Surgery Repair: A Randomized Prospective Study

BACKGROUND Patients are often concerned about the cosmetic appearance of scars following Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS), including residual erythema. However, few studies have compared the cosmetic outcomes between different suturing techniques. OBJECTIVE To compare the erythema intensity (EI) associated with interrupted sutures (IS) and continuous sutures (CS), and the degree of its reduction over time. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mohs micrographic surgery patients were randomized to have half of their defect repaired with IS and the other half with CS. Postoperatively, subjects were assessed at 1 week, 2 months, and 6 months and close-up photographs of their scars were taken. Computer-assisted image analysis was utilized to quantify the EI in each half-scar. RESULTS The average EI of IS was greater than that of CS by 9.3% at 1 week (p
Source: Dermatologic Surgery - Category: Dermatology Tags: Original Article Source Type: research