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NCT07441538Completed

Optimizing the Timing for Facial Surgical Dressing Removal

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Early to Standard Wound Dressing Removal After Facial Skin Surgery

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 3 Mar 2026

Brief summary (registry, in English)

What is this study about? You are being invited to participate in a clinical research study because you are scheduled to undergo a facial skin surgery for your health condition. Your surgeon will perform your operation independently, and your standard surgical procedure and follow-up visits will not be changed in any way by this study. The purpose of this research is to understand which postoperative care method is more beneficial for facial wound healing and for reducing scar formation. We aim to compare two common approaches for caring for the wound after surgery. Your participation will help doctors choose better care plans for future patients. What will happen in this study? If you agree to participate, you will be randomly assigned (like drawing lots) to one of two groups: Group A (Early Exposure Group): About 6 hours after your surgery, the doctor will remove the sterile gauze covering your wound. After this, you will need to keep the wound area clean and dry, and you will not use a gauze dressing to cover it. Group B (Continuous Coverage Group): After surgery, your wound will continue to be covered with sterile gauze. The doctor or nurse will change the dressing for you regularly until the sutures are removed around 7 days after surgery, or until it is decided to stop based on how the wound is healing. What will I need to do differently? Apart from the assigned wound care method described above, participating in this study involves only the following additions to your regular care: Before Surgery: You will be asked to fill out a simple questionnaire about your skin and undergo a quick, non-invasive skin measurement. During Follow-up Visits: You will be asked to fill out questionnaires and allow the study doctor to take photographs of your surgical area. These photos will be used only for analysis and record-keeping in this study. Your total time commitment for these extra activities is minimal. Participation is entirely voluntary, and your decision will not affect the quality of your medical care. Key Information: Your surgeon decides your operation. This study only involves postoperative wound care. Random Assignment: You cannot choose your group; it is decided randomly by a computer. Privacy: Your personal information and study data (including photos) will be kept strictly confidential and used only for this research. Potential Benefit: You may not benefit directly, but your participation will contribute to medical knowledge. Potential Risks: The risks are considered minimal and are similar to those of standard wound care. The study doctor will monitor your healing closely. You will receive a detailed informed consent form with more information. Please discuss any questions you have with the research team before deciding.

Status (registry)
Completed
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
144 (actual)
First submitted
24 Feb 2026
Start date
15 Jun 2025
Primary completion date
15 Jan 2026
Lead sponsor
Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
NCT number
NCT07441538

What you commit to

  • Study type: Interventional
  • Participants enrolled: 144
  • From 15 Jun 2025 to the primary completion date, 15 Jan 2026
  • 1 site in 1 country
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Prior treatment

  • Surgical site located on or immediately adjacent to a mucosal surface
  • Concurrent use of medications known to affect wound healing or scar formation (e.g., long-term use of glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, etc.)
  • Concurrent participation in another interventional clinical trial

Other illness

  • Clinically or postoperatively pathologically diagnosed with a malignant facial tumor
  • Known history of allergy to surgical gauze dressings or related materials
  • Presence of systemic diseases that significantly impair wound healing (e.g., poorly controlled diabetes, immunodeficiency disorders, active infection, etc.)

Other

  • Wounds requiring staged excision or planned for secondary intention healing
  • Pregnant or lactating women
  • Refusal to sign the informed consent form, or are anticipated to have difficulty complying with study follow-up and data collection
  • Any other factors deemed by the investigator as likely to interfere with the study results or increase the participant's risk

Who the study is looking for

  • Aged between 18 and 60 years
  • Clinically and postoperatively pathologically diagnosed with a benign facial lesion (e.g., melanocytic nevus, sebaceous cyst, seborrheic keratosis, etc.) and having undergone standard surgical treatment
  • Voluntarily agree to participate in this study and sign a written informed consent form
  • Commit to complying with all study procedures and cooperate to complete all follow-up visits and data collection

Age in the registry: 14 years to 60 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (1)

Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.

SiteCityCountrySite status
Not Appicable
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
WuhanChinaUnknown status

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.