SILICONE GEL SHEETING FOR THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF EVOLVING HYPERTROPHIC AND KELOID SCARS

BACKGROUND. Hypertrophic scars and. keloids remain a problem for surgeons. Topical and intralesional corticosteroids, positive pressure dressings, cryotherapy, and laser therapy ape helpful but not uniformly successful. OBJECTIVE. TO document the effectiveness of silicone gel sheeting in the prevention and/or reduction of evolving hypertrophic scars and keloids. METHODS. Silicone,eel sheeting was placed over evolving scars in 20 cases. The dressing was worn for at least 12 hours a day. Biopsies were examined for the presence of silica in the tissue. RESULTS. Lesions improved during the treatment period in 85% of the cases. The mechanisms of action are unknown. Positive pressure was not necessary. No silica from the dressing was found at the wound site. CONCLUSION. Daily treatments with silicone gel sheeting should begin as soon as an itchy red streak develops in a maturing wound. The dressing is effective in reducing the bulk of these lesions.