Applying a Visual Assessment Tool to Facial Linear Scars.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Plastic Surgery
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Traditional scar assessment relies on subjective verbal descriptions.
• A nonverbal visual assessment tool offers a standardized, objective method for quantifying scar appearance.
• Such tools are valuable for both patients and healthcare providers in evaluating surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a validated visual assessment tool for linear surgical scars on the face.
• To compare scar ratings between patients and surgeons.
• To determine if patients and physicians perceive scar appearance similarly.

Main Methods:

• 143 patients with linear facial scars from Mohs surgery repair used a visual assessment tool.
• Six physicians rated scar appearance from photographs of a subset of patients' scars.
• Patient and physician scar ratings were statistically compared.

Main Results:

• Patients reported significantly more favorable scar ratings compared to physicians for scars assessed by both groups (n=79).
• The visual assessment tool proved to be a simple method for evaluating postsurgical scar appearance.
• A notable difference in scar ranking between patients and physicians was observed.

Conclusions:

• The visual assessment tool effectively quantifies linear surgical scar appearance on the face.
• Patient and physician scar ratings differ, underscoring the importance of incorporating both viewpoints.
• Future research should consider diverse patient populations and multi-center validation.