Comparison of the effect of silicone gel sheets by thickness on excisional scars in pediatric and adolescent patients

Abstract

Background Selecting effective products among the various types of silicone gel sheets can be challenging for surgeons. Therefore, we assessed the effect of silicone gel sheet thickness on surgical scars in pediatric and adolescent patients.Methods From December 2017 to May 2018, we identified patients aged 1–19 years who underwent excision. Among these patients, those who were prescribed 0.3-mm or 1.0-mm-thick silicone sheets were selected. Scars were subjectively evaluated using a questionnaire consisting of seven items. Objective evaluation was performed by two plastic surgeons using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS).Results The mean age of the 49 selected patients was 9.78 years. The patients were divided into two groups according to the thickness of the silicone gel sheet used (0.3 mm vs. 1.0 mm). Objective evaluation of the patients’ scars revealed more favorable results in the 0.3 mm group than in the 1.0 mm group (P=0.010). Multivariate analysis of VSS scores indicated that the resulting scars in cases involving the trunk were of poorer quality than those involving facial areas (P=0.015). Additionally, favorable (i.e., below-average) VSS scores were significantly less likely in patients with longer scars (odds ratio, 0.896; 95% confidence interval, 0.834–0.963; P=0.003) or thicker silicone sheets (odds ratio, 0.085; 95% confidence interval, 0.011–0.699; P=0.019).Conclusions The use of thinner silicone gel sheets in children and adolescents resulted in better scars according to subjective evaluations, underscoring the importance of compliance in pediatric patients. The type of operation and surgical lesion should also be considered when planning the management of surgical scars.