Data collection
itching, itchiness, scars, pain
SCAR
Patients returned for two postoperative follow-up appointments, at 10–12 days and 6 weeks after surgery. Nylon sutures were removed at the first postoperative visit. At each visit, the incisions were evaluated by trained research personnel. The treating surgeon did not perform these evaluations to ensure interobserver reliability and eliminate bias. Both the patients and research personnel evaluated the incisions via direct visualization and palpation, after which they completed POSAS evaluation. Patients assessed their scars on the criteria of pain, itchiness, colour, stiffness, thickness and irregularity, while observers rated the vascularity, pigmentation, thickness, relief, pliability and surface area of the scars. Both were also asked to provide their overall opinion of the scar. Each item was rated on a 10-point scale, with the lowest score ‘1’ corresponding to normal skin (i.e. normal pigmentation, no itching) and the highest score ‘10’ corresponding to the largest difference from normal skin (i.e. the worst imaginable scar or sensation). The scores are summed separately, with lower scores indicating closer resemblance to normal skin.