Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36787790›Full record

ArticleFacial plastic surgery : FPS2024

Pressure Masks for Facial Scar Treatment after Oncological Reconstruction: Long-Term Patient Satisfaction and Quality of Life.

Melissa De Henau, Sander M J van Kuijk, Carlo Colla, Eric Van den Kerckhove, Rene R W J Van der Hulst, Andrzej Piatkowski

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Facial plastic surgery : FPS, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Exploring the role of health-related quality of life measures in predictive modelling for oncology: a systematic review.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Melissa De HenauDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-7100-5621
Sander M J van KuijkDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Technology Assessment (KEMTA), Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Carlo CollaDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Eric Van den KerckhoveDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Rene R W J Van der HulstDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Andrzej PiatkowskiDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Maastricht University · NLUniversitair Ziekenhuis Leuven · BE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionWith increasing incidence of facial skin cancer, more patients undergo facial reconstruction following Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). Aesthetically unpleasing, thickened facial flaps, and disturbing scars can be treated with a pressure mask with inner silicone lining to help improve functional and aesthetic outcomes. However, data on long-term patient satisfaction and quality of life (QoL) following this treatment are lacking.

methodsWe aimed to assess long-term satisfaction and QoL of patients who underwent local flap reconstruction following MMS. Patients treated between January 2012 and October 2020 were invited to answer FACE-Q and SCAR-Q questionnaires. Demographic data, skin cancer type and location, type of reconstruction, postoperative complications, duration of pressure mask therapy, daily compliance, and additional scar treatment were collected to explore possible predictors.

resultsOf 92 eligible patients, 50 responded. Eighteen respondents were male (36%) and 32 were female (64%). Mean duration of pressure mask therapy was 10.20 ± 4.61 months. Patients were 61.14 ± 32.91 months after completion of pressure mask therapy upon participation. Patients whose reconstruction consisted of multiple flaps had significantly worse outcomes in social function (

conclusionPressure mask treatment for facial flaps and scars following MMS results in good long-term patient satisfaction and QoL. Multiple local flaps, reflecting a larger skin defect postexcision, is a predictor for worse outcomes in social function, scar appearance, and symptoms. Increasing time is associated with increasing satisfaction, which reflects satisfactory and stable long-term effects of treatment, possibly combined with more acceptance of the result over time.

Indexed as

CicatrixSkin NeoplasmsEsthetics, DentalFemaleHumansMaleMasksPatient SatisfactionQuality of Life

Identifiers

PMID36787790
PMCPMC10774008
OpenAlexW4320716629

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.