A Self-Controlled Clinical Study of Fast-Absorbable Versus Slow-Absorbable Sutures Applied in Ultra Tension-Reducing Suture Technique

Hypertrophic scar formation after wound healing remains a clinical challenge in plastic surgery. Ultra Tension-Reducing Suture Technique is currently the primary surgical option for preventing and reducing hypertrophic scarring.An ideal tension-relieving effect requires sustained support for 3 months postoperatively to align with the natural recovery cycle of skin tissue tensile strength. Studies both domestically and internationally have confirmed that slow-absorbing sutures yield better scar improvement outcomes than fast-absorbing sutures; non-absorbable sutures carry a relatively significant risk of scar hyperplasia due to Existing domestic and international evidence confirms superior scar outcomes with slow-absorbing sutures; non-absorbable sutures tend to aggravate scar hyperplasia due to obvious foreign-body responses. Other studies have shown that there are no statistically significant differences in infection rate, wound healing and scar formation between absorbable and non-absorbable sutures for cutaneous closure, Nevertheless, absorbable sutures eliminate suture removal, relieve patients' anxiety and discomfort, and lead to superior patient satisfaction. To date, no self-controlled studies have directly verified the specific effects of absorbable sutures with disparate absorption rates on postoperative scar formation during super-tension relieving suturing. Accordingly, this study conducted a randomized, wound-self-controlled, evaluator-blinded comparative efficacy trial. Within the same surgical incision, supertension-relieving sutures were performed using both fast-absorbing and slow-absorbing sutures to compare postoperative scar morphology and outcomes. This study is the first to investigate the impact of sutures with different absorption rates on scar formation in super-tension-relieving suturing.