Effect of Epidermos Barrier Cream on Postoperative Parotidectomy Incision Scar

Introduction: The modified Blair incision is commonly used for superficial and deep lobe lesions of the parotid gland. The most common complication of the parotidectomy procedure is the postoperative surgical scar. Epidermos barrier cream is a type of cream that helps in wound healing by covering the wound. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of epidermos barrier cream on postoperative incision scars. Methods: Forty-six patients scheduled for surgery due to benign parotid masses were included in the study. Patients were called for a follow-up appointment to remove sutures 1 week after standard surgical intervention. In the study group, epidermos cream was used on the wound site until complete healing was achieved after suture removal, while wound healing in the control group was monitored without any medication. The patients were evaluated in the first, second, and fourth postoperative weeks using a wound site assessment questionnaire and surgical wound assessment for wound healing evaluation. Results: There were no statistically-significant differences between the groups in the evaluation results in the first week. On examination of the data in the second week, a difference was only observed in terms of the presence of hyperemia at the edges of the wound between the groups (P = .005), with no statistically-significant differences found in any other assessment tools. In the 4-week wound healing evaluation, a statistically-significant difference was observed in favor of the study group both in the patient's evaluation of the wound site (P < .001) and in the surgeon's evaluation of the wound site (P = .029). Conclusion: Epidermos cream was found to significantly improve postoperative scar healing in parotidectomy incisions considered challenging in terms of healing. Epidermos barrier cream was found to be beneficial for wound healing in wound sites.