Geometric modeling and a retrospective cohort study on the usefulness of fascial tensile reductions in severe keloid surgery

Background Severe keloids are currently treated with surgical resection followed by radiation. Radiotherapy is essential for preventing recurrences. Fascia tensile reduction suturing may also prevent recurrence. We asked whether superficial fascia tensile reduction with or without deep fascia tensile reduction reduced skin mechanical tension and yielded good outcomes. Methods Geometric modeling on 3-dimensional anatomic shapes assessed the effect of superficial fascia tensile reduction with or without deep fascia tensile reduction on skin tension. A retrospective cohort study was performed on patients with severe anterior-chest keloids with Japan Scar Workshop-scar scale classification score ≥ 16 who underwent resection plus fascia tensile reduction plus radiotherapy between 2011 and 2016 and were followed for >18 months. Patient characteristics and 18-month postoperative outcomes were examined. Postoperative outcome was defined as rates of keloid disappearance, improvement, and obvious recurrence. Results Maximal mechanical forces placed on the dermis by dermal sutures, dermal sutures plus superficial fascia tensile reduction, and dermal sutures plus superficial fascia tensile reduction plus deep fascia tensile reduction were 4,700, 573, and 697 Pa, respectively. Adding deep fascia tensile reduction to superficial fascia tensile reduction decreased the force on the superficial fascia. Of 77 cohort patients, 27 and 50 underwent superficial fascia tensile reduction and superficial fascia tensile reduction plus deep fascia tensile reduction, respectively. Superficial fascia tensile reduction plus deep fascia tensile reduction patients underwent complete excision more often (60.0% vs 37.0%, P = .046). The groups did not differ in 18-month surgical outcome, including recurrence rate (P = .670). Conclusion Our 2003 study showed that in anterior-chest keloids, resection plus non-fascial suturing plus radiotherapy led to a 43.1% recurrence. Thus, fascia tensile reduction suturing helps reduce anterior-chest keloid recurrence to ∼5.2%. Superficial fascia tensile reduction plus deep fascia tensile reduction is suitable for relatively large keloids that require total resection. Deep fascia tensile reduction may facilitate superficial fascia tensile reduction but may only be useful when it is technically difficult to achieve reduction with superficial fascia tensile reduction alone.