Outcomes of Running Locking Suture vs Standard Running Suture in Surgical Wounds

Description

When patients have surgery on the head and face, stitches are the standard way to close the wound. Wounds always result in a scar, but doctors are always looking for ways to reduce scarring. Several studies have been done to test ways to close wounds that reduce scarring. The most commonly performed closure technique uses running sutures, where a single strand of suture is continued along the length of the wound with a series of uninterrupted stiches. However, alternative closure techniques exist such as the running locking suture, which can offer advantages such as improved tension and thus reduce post-operative complications with better aesthetic outcome. In this study, half the wound will be stitched with standard running sutures and the other half will be stitched with running locking sutures. This will allow us to see if the side with running locking sutures heals with less scarring.

Conditions

Scarring

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

When patients have surgery on the head and face, stitches are the standard way to close the wound. Wounds always result in a scar, but doctors are always looking for ways to reduce scarring. Several studies have been done to test ways to close wounds that reduce scarring. The most commonly performed closure technique uses running sutures, where a single strand of suture is continued along the length of the wound with a series of uninterrupted stiches. However, alternative closure techniques exist such as the running locking suture, which can offer advantages such as improved tension and thus reduce post-operative complications with better aesthetic outcome. In this study, half the wound will be stitched with standard running sutures and the other half will be stitched with running locking sutures. This will allow us to see if the side with running locking sutures heals with less scarring.

Outcomes of Running Locking Suture vs Standard Running Suture in Surgical Wounds: a Randomized Evaluator-blinded Split-wound Comparative Effectiveness Trial

Outcomes of Running Locking Suture vs Standard Running Suture in Surgical Wounds

Condition
Scarring
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Sacramento

University of California, Davis - Dermatology Department, Sacramento, California, United States, 95816

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.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * 18 years of age or older
  • * Able to give informed consent themselves
  • * Patient scheduled for cutaneous surgical procedure on the head or neck with predicted primary closure
  • * Willing to return for follow up visit
  • * Incarceration
  • * Under 18 years of age
  • * Pregnant Women
  • * Unable to understand written and oral English
  • * Wounds with predicted closure length less than 3cm

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

University of California, Davis,

Daniel Eisen, MD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of California, Davis - Dermatology

Study Record Dates

2025-10-01