Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Feb;20(2):372-380.
doi: 10.1111/iwj.13885. Epub 2022 Jul 7.

Evaluation of post-tracheostomy scars and their impact on persons' quality of life: A case-control study

Rafik G Shahparonyan  1 , Anna Yu Poghosyan  1 , Armen M Minasyan  2 , Aren Yu Bablumyan  2 , Irina E Malkhasyan  3 , Anatoly S Gnuni  3 , Khachatur H Matosyan  1 , Ani M Sargsyan  1 , Artashes E Tadevosyan  4 , Armen A Muradyan  2
Affiliations

Evaluation of post-tracheostomy scars and their impact on persons' quality of life: A case-control study

Rafik G Shahparonyan et al. Int Wound J. 2023 Feb.

Abstract

Tracheostomy is one of the more commonly performed procedures in critically ill patients under mechanical ventilation. Postoperative scarring is one of the bothersome sequelae of tracheostomies. Scars distort physical appearance, especially when found on the head and neck, which could have a negative impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate and assess the impact of post-tracheostomy scars on quality of life according to the tracheostomy method. A prospective, single-center, observational, case-control study was conducted. One hundred fifty-six persons with a post-tracheostomy surgical scar for more than four months were observed using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale and Dermatology Life Quality Index questionnaire. Persons were divided into two groups depending on the method of tracheostomy, and the duration of the cannulated period was considered in both groups. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS ver. 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), and P values of <0.05 were considered significant. The patients who had a tracheostomic tube cannulation period of fewer than 15 days had better cosmetic results than those who had tracheostomic tubes for more than 15 days, regardless of the tracheostomy method: 6.64 ± 0.082 versus 16.15 ± 0.096 (P < 0.001) in the surgical tracheostomy group and 7.26 ± 0.211 versus 14.17 ± 0.379 (P < 0.05) in the percutaneous dilatational group. The Dermatology Life Quality Index scores had a mean value of 0.6 ± 0.01, which means that post-tracheostomy scarring in the present study had no effect on the person's quality of life. The aesthetic outcomes of post-tracheostomy scars after the open surgical tracheostomy technique did not significantly differ from those of the percutaneous dilatational technique in the present study. Persons with a long duration of tracheostomic tube ventilation showed worse aesthetic outcomes than those with short-term tracheostomic cannulation, which was not dependent on the tracheostomy technique. The Dermatology Life Quality Index showed that post-ttracheostomy scarring in the present study had no effect on the person's quality of life.

Keywords: POSAS; quality of life; scar assessment; scarring; tracheostomy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Age and sex distribution of recruited persons undergoing tracheostomy
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Post‐tracheostomy scar of person who underwent OST A, with less than15 days cannulation period, B, with more than15 days cannulation period
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Post‐tracheostomy scar of person who underwent PDT A, with less than15 days cannulation period, B, with more than15 days cannulation period
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. De Leyn P, Bedert L, Delcroix M, et al. Tracheotomy: clinical review and guidelines. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2007;32(3):412‐421. - PubMed
    1. Cheung NH, Napolitano LM. Tracheostomy: epidemiology, indications, timing, technique, and outcomes. Respir Care. 2014;59(6):895‐915. discussion 6–9. - PubMed
    1. Hosokawa K, Nishimura M, Egi M, Vincent JL. Timing of tracheotomy in ICU patients: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Crit Care. 2015;19:424. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Delaney A, Bagshaw SM, Nalos M. Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy versus surgical tracheostomy in critically ill patients: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Crit Care. 2006;10(2):R55. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sofi K, Wani T. Effect of tracheostomy on pulmonary mechanics: an observational study. Saudi J Anaesth. 2010;4(1):2‐5. - PMC - PubMed