Inflatable pressure garment device for pressure therapy after chest wall keloid operation and radiotherapy

Abstract

Aim: Keloids often occur on the chest wall, with high recurrence rates despite surgery and radiotherapy. Garment pressure therapy is commonly used to treat hypertrophic scars and keloids. Irregularity of the chest wall surface can inhibit the effects of the garment pressure therapy. This clinical study is to determine the effect of inflatable pressure garment in preventing keloid recurrence after keloid operation and radiotherapy.

Methods: Chest wall keloid was removed and radiotherapy was administered at the surgical sites on the 1st and 7th postoperative days in 61 patients. An inflatable pressure garment device was designed and its pressure effect was confirmed by comparing it with the general pressure garment at the sites of the right and left infraclavicular area, manubrium and sternal area between breasts. The keloid patients were treated with inflatable pressure garment device 1 month after the operation. The clinical results were observed.

Results: The detected pressures were 0.26 ± 0.21, 0.49 ± 0.16, 0.53 ± 0.10 and 0.91 ± 0.17 kPa at the sites of the right infraclavicular area, the manubrium area, the left infraclavicular area and sternal area between breasts with the general pressure garment. These were obvious lower (P < 0.05) than that generated with the inflatable pressure garment device of which the average pressures were 7.26 ± 0.41, 7.6 ± 0.32, 9.02 ± 0.54 and 10.31 ± 0.14 kPa at the corresponding sites. Sixty-one patients were treated with this device after keloid surgical excision and radiotherapy. Satisfactory results were observed.

Conclusion: Appropriate and effective pressure can be generated with inflatable pressure garment on the chest wall. This device may be useful in preventing chest wall keloid recurrence after keloid operation and radiotherapy.

Keywords

Chest wall keloid / inflatable pressure garment device / pressure therapy

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