Impact of Perioperative Antibiotic Use on Surgical Scarring

N/ANot Yet RecruitingNCT07741591

Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University5,000 enrolled

Overview

This retrospective observational cohort study will evaluate whether perioperative antibiotic use is associated with long-term surgical scar outcomes. The study will include adult patients who underwent body surface surgery at Nanfang Hospital between January 1, 2005 and January 1, 2025 and have available surgical, medication, and scar-related clinical records. The study will not assign participants to any treatment. Researchers will review existing medical records, perioperative antibiotic exposure, surgical characteristics, complications, and scar assessments or photographs. Scar outcomes will be assessed using modified visual analogue scale scores, scar width, scar type, and scar-related complications.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

5,000

Conditions

Surgical Scar Postoperative Scar

Interventions

Perioperative Antibiotic ExposureOTHER

Patterns of perioperative antibiotic use documented in existing medical records, including timing, indication, antibiotic type, duration, frequency, and route of administration. No antibiotic treatment will be assigned or provided by the study.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 years or older. * Underwent body surface surgery at Nanfang Hospital between January 1, 2005 and January 1, 2025, with a linear surgical incision scar. * Presented to the Department of Plastic Surgery at Nanfang Hospital for surgical scar-related care. * Had no medical encounter record at Nanfang Hospital from January 1, 2025 to the time of study screening. * Available clear surgical records and perioperative medication records. Exclusion Criteria: * Known tendency for pathological scarring or scar constitution. * History of chronic skin disease in the surgical area, such as psoriasis or eczema. * Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, malnutrition, hypoalbuminemia, or long-term use of immunosuppressive agents or glucocorticoids. * Target scar received any scar-specific treatment after surgery, such as laser therapy, radiotherapy, drug injection, or surgical revision.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Overall Scar Appearance Score Assessed Using a Modified Visual Analogue Scale

Overall scar appearance will be evaluated from scar photographs by three blinded physicians or trained study personnel using a modified visual analogue scale. Scores range from 1 to 10, with 1 indicating appearance similar to normal skin and 10 indicating the worst imaginable scar appearance.

Time frame: Scar photographs were taken during postoperative clinical follow-up, with an overall range from 3 months to 20 years after surgery. Given the wide span, the assessments will be stratified and reported according to the actual time of photography, for exam

Secondary Outcomes

Scar Color Score Assessed Using a Modified Visual Analogue Scale

Scar color will be evaluated from scar photographs by three blinded physicians or trained study personnel using a modified visual analogue scale. Scores range from 1 to 10, with lower scores indicating color more similar to normal skin and higher scores indicating worse scar color.

Scar Texture Score Assessed Using a Modified Visual Analogue Scale

Scar texture will be evaluated from scar photographs by three blinded physicians or trained study personnel using a modified visual analogue scale. Scores range from 1 to 10, with lower scores indicating texture more similar to normal skin and higher scores indicating worse scar texture.

Scar Width

Scar width will be calculated from scar photographs by outlining the scar boundary and using ImageJ to measure scar area and scar length. Scar width will be calculated as scar area divided by scar length.

Scar-Related Complications

Scar-related complications will be identified from medical records and scar assessments, including wound dehiscence, suture reaction, necrosis, hematoma, infection, persistent itching, persistent pain, and sensory abnormalities.

Time frame: Postoperative days 0 to 30 (inclusive). The timing of each complication was determined from medical records.