1. Paper Tape May Improve Scar Aesthetics and Prevent Wound Closure Complications.
- Author
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Stratis, Catherine, Haider, Syed Ali, Oleru, Olachi, Seyidova, Nargiz, Sbitany, Hani, and Henderson, Peter W.
- Subjects
PREVENTION of surgical complications ,AESTHETICS ,SCARS ,TREATMENT effectiveness ,TRAUMATOLOGY diagnosis ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,MEDLINE ,PAIN ,SURGICAL site infections ,QUALITY assurance ,ONLINE information services ,PLASTIC surgery ,POSTOPERATIVE period ,ADHESIVE tape ,EVALUATION - Abstract
There is uncertainty whether postoperative application of paper tape (PT) improves scar aesthetics and reduces wound closure complications. This study aimed to review and assess the quality of applicable findings from studies investigating PT’s efficacy. We queried PubMed and SCOPUS using the search terms “((“paper tape”) AND (wound OR closure OR heal* OR complication OR skin OR prevent* OR scar*)).” We excluded articles that were duplicates, basic science, or not clinically relevant. We assessed the level of evidence for each article using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Rating Levels of Evidence and Grading Recommendations for Therapeutic Studies, ranging from I (highest) to V (lowest). Of 186 publications reviewed, we included eight studies in the literature review. Five of these studies reported statistically significant positive outcomes on scar aesthetics and wound closure associated with using PT. Using the ASPS rating system, we found that two studies were Level I, three studies were Level II, two studies were Level IV, and one study was Level V. Notably, heterogeneity in the study designs limited outcome comparison. The data from the studies included in this literature review support using PT to optimize scar and wound management. The lack of higher levels of evidence, however, suggests the need for additional randomized controlled trials to rigorously evaluate patient outcomes when using PT compared with other forms of adhesive dressings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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