Effectiveness of Silicone Materials in Preventing Pathological Scars in Maxillo-Facial Area

Abstract

Pathological scars are not only an integral medical and aesthetic problem nowadays, but also serious functional and aesthetic consequences of traumatic and surgical wounds. The purpose of our study is to determine the effectiveness of silicone-based materials in wound healing and the prevention of scar tissue formation. The study was conducted at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, the Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital. Twenty patients (10 men and 10 women) with traumatic soft tissue injuries in the maxillofacial area participated in the study were divided into two groups of 10 patients each. The first experimental group received a silicone-based patch after suturing the wound, while the patients of the second clinical (control) group were operated on according to standard techniques without additional methods of scar prevention. The nature of the scars was assessed according to the modern scale for evaluating scarred tissues developed and implemented at the Poltava State Medical University. The analysis was carried out using seven indicators for different periods of the observation (on the 120th and 240th day of the clinical study).
 On the 240th day of the clinical study, the patients of the first group showed moderate hyperemia in 30% of cases, close to intact skin in 70%, moderate pigmentation in 20%, and isopigmentation in 80%. The scar raised above the skin surface in 20.0% (2 patients) of cases for 1-2 mm, while in the rest, 8 people, the scar raised less than 1 mm. Uniform raising of the scar was observed in 30.0% of cases (3 patients), while the surface was close to intact skin in 70.0% of cases (7 people). 20.0% of cases (2 patients) had a moderately compacted scar, while in 80.0% of cases (8 patients), the scares were assessed as mildly elastic, and only 1 patient complained of mild discomfort (itching). Other participants had no complaints. Non of patients in the first group complained of pain.
 On the 240th day of the clinical study, the second control group exhibited the following indicators: moderate hyperemia in 70.0% of cases (7 patients) and normal vascularization in 30.0% of cases (3 individuals). Hypopigmentation was observed in 60.0% (6 cases) and isopigmentation in 40.0% of cases (4 patients). The height of the scar above the skin surface was 1-2 mm in 60.0% of cases (6 patients) and less than 1 mm in the remaining 40.0% of cases (4 patients). A uniform increase in scar size was noted in 70.0% of cases (7 cases), while the surface was similar to that of intact skin in 30.0% of cases (3 individuals). Moderately thickened scars were observed in 50.0% of cases (5 patients) and pronounced induration of soft tissues in the other 50.0% of cases (5patients). Regarding subjective sensations, 70.0% (7 patients) had no complaints, 30.0% of cases (3 patients) experienced slight discomfort, and 10.0% (1 patient) reported mild pain, while the remaining 90.0% (9 individuals) had no complaints.
 Comparing the results of the clinical study on the 240th, the first study group's performance was better and 77.0% lower compared to the second control group. This allows us to suggest that the use of silicone gel after the wound closure, compared to the standard method, promotes the wound healing process and reduces the risk of pathological scarring.