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Liu et al. Inflatable pressure garment device

INTRODUCTION electron beam irradiation at each session. A second
radiotherapy session was administered on the 14th
Keloids may be induced by many causes, such as postoperative day if skin graft was used, when survival
acne, folliculitis, insect bites or surgery. Keloids often of the skin graft had been established and the sutures
[1]
occur on the chest wall. Many therapeutic approaches had been removed.
for keloids have been reported in the literature. The
most commonly accepted treatments include excision, Comparative study of inflatable pressure
irradiation, steroid injections, and pressure therapy garment device and general pressure garment
with silicone gel sheets or bandages. [2] In order to confirm the pressure effect of the inflatable
pressure garment device, a comparative study was
Keloids are likely to recur, which complicates their conducted between the device and the regular pressure
treatment. The reported keloid recurrence rate varies garment. The device consisted of 3 parts: a regular
depending on the treatment method. In the chest pressure garment, an inflatable silicon expander and
[3]
wall, the reported keloid recurrence rate ranges an inflation device. Ten volunteer young patients (5
from 9.7% to 43.1% for patients treated with surgical male and 5 female, age range between 21 and 30
excision and postoperative radiation. [4,5] Recurrent years) wore the regular pressure garment (WSY003
keloids often spread faster and become larger; it is Short Sleeve Garment, Beijing Medical Elastic Sleeve)
therefore necessary to identify a method to prevent first. Pressure was detected and recorded using a
keloid recurrence. manometer (COMARK C9553, England) at the sites of

the right and left infraclavicular area, manubrium and
Pressure therapy is effective in treating hypertrophic mid-sternum area between breasts. Then the inflatable
scars, especially scars on the ear or body. Pressure silicon expander was inserted under the garment at
[7]
[6]
garments are often used in body scar pressure therapy. the same area and was inflated until the patients felt
During treatment, a pressure garment is placed over slight pain at the sites. The pressure was then detected
the scar and is effective when appropriate pressure is and recorded. The data was analyzed with SPSS 22.0
applied to the scar surface. However, the pressures (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) using the t-test. All
that can be generated at different anatomical sites data are reported as the mean ± standard error of the
differ significantly, and lower pressures generally are mean. The level of the test was considered statistically
less effective. Due to the larger radius of the chest, significant if less than 0.05.
pressure garments usually generate low pressures in
this area, and pressures are even lower in concave Pressure therapy with an inflatable pressure
areas, such as the mid-sternum. To solve this garment device
[8]
problem, we designed an inflatable pressure garment The inflatable pressure garment device was used
device. 1 month after the operation to allow for appropriate
wound healing. First, the wound site was cleaned with
METHODS warm water. A piece of silicon gel was applied to the

Surgical methods wound after the site was dry. Then, the patient was
asked to wear a regular pressure garment [Figure 1A].
The edge of the keloid was marked with gentian Afterwards, the silicon expander, which was wrapped
violet; then, 0.5% lidocaine was infiltrated to provide with soft cloth, was inserted under the garment. The
local anesthesia in the skin around the keloid. A full- expander was carefully adjusted to ensure that it
thickness incision was made along the mark, and the covered the entire area of the scar. The inflation device
keloid was removed. After achieving hemostasis, the
skin around the incisional border was undermined at A B
the deep layer of the superficial fascia for 3-5 cm, and
the incision was closed. A skin graft was used if the
wound was too wide to be closed primarily. The wound
was then covered with sterile gauze. Radiation therapy
was administered. The sutures were removed 14 to 21
days after the operation.

Radiotherapy methods
Radiotherapy was administered at the surgical sites
(closed primarily) on the 1st and 7th postoperative Figure 1: The concave site became convex after the expander was
inflated. (A) The conventional pressure garment; (B) the inflatable
days. Every surgical site was treated with 900 cGy of pressure garment
Plastic and Aesthetic Research ¦ Volume 4 ¦ June 16, 2017 93