Immediate SVF-Gel Injection Reduced Incision Scar Formation: A Prospective, Double-Blind, Randomized, Self-control Trial.

[BACKGROUND] Skin incision scars are cosmetically displeasing; the effects of current treatments are limited, and new methods to reduce scar formation need to be found.

[OBJECTIVE] We sought to determine whether immediate postoperative injection of stromal vascular fraction gel (SVF-gel) could reduce scar formation at skin incision sites.

[METHODS] A prospective, randomized, double-blind, self-controlled trial was conducted in patients who underwent breast reduction. SVF-gel was intradermally injected into the surgical incision on one randomly selected side, with the other side receiving saline as a control. At the 6-month follow-up, the incision scars were evaluated using the Vancouver scar scale (VSS) and visual analog scale (VAS). Antera 3D camera was used for objective evaluation.

[RESULTS] The VSS score and VAS score were significantly different between the SVF-gel-treated side (3.80 ± 1.37, 3.37±1.25) and the control side (5.25 ± 1.18, 4.94 ± 1.28). Moreover, the SVF-gel-treated side showed statistically significant improvements in scar appearance, based on evidences from Antera 3D camera.

[LIMITATIONS] This was a single-center, single-race, and single-gender study. Furthermore, the results were available only for the 6-month interim follow-up period.

[CONCLUSION] Postoperative immediate SVF-gel injection in surgical incisions can reduce scar formation, and exert a preventive effect on scars.

[LEVEL OF EVIDENCE I] Evidence obtained from at least one properly designed randomized controlled trial. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors   www.springer.com/00266 .