title: Experience of silicone gel sheets for patients with keloid scars after median sternotomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is often difficult to control hypertrophic scars and keloids with drug therapy, steroid injection, surgery, radiation therapy, laser, or wound pressing. Use of silicone gel to treat hypertrophic burn scars and fresh incisions has yielded encouraging results. We report our experience of silicone gel sheets for patients with keloids following median sternotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine patients underwent a median sternotomy and received other therapies before participating in this treatment. A silicone gel sheet was placed directly on the keloid scar and maintained at all times. Sheets were replaced every 4 weeks for a total treatment duration of 24 weeks. The scar area was measured, and subjective symptoms were determined prior to therapy and after completion of therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were three men and six women, with a mean age of 45.2 years (range 22-69 years). Progression of protuberance and rub was seen in one patient. Scar redness and cramping were either diminished or unchanged in all patients. Itching progressed in two patients. After 6 months, the area of the scar relative to its initial area was 0.98 (range 0.78-1.27). Harmful events did not occur.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A silicone gel sheet is effective for treating keloid scars following median sternotomy. Silicone gel sheets are safe and easy to use and do not aggravate any subjective symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Hongo 2-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan. m-skrb@juntendo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Motoki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakuraba
authors.forename: Nobumasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Taku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akahoshi
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyasaka
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007627:Keloid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020034:Silicone Gels / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D056346:Sternotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020034:Silicone Gels