ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Surgery
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1628763
Prioritizing Psychological Relief: Fast-Absorbing Collagen Sutures Improve Parental Well-Being in Pediatric Facial Trauma Care
Provisionally accepted
- 1The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School,University of South China, Hengyang, China
- 2The affiliated Nanhua Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
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Objective To assess the psychological status and quality of life improvements in parents of children undergoing facial trauma repair emphasizing cosmetic outcomes with fastabsorbing collagen sutures, and to compare these outcomes with those in parents of children repaired with nylon sutures. A secondary objective was to compare scar outcomes between the two suture materials. Methods From January 2024 to October 2024, 120 primary caregivers (defined as the parent providing ≥80% of daily wound care) of pediatric facial trauma patients were randomized into an observation group (n=60, 7-0 fast-absorbing collagen sutures, non-removal) or a control group (n=60, 7-0 nylon sutures, removed on day 7). Psychological assessments included the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 (GQOLI-74). Scar formation was evaluated using the Scar Cosmesis Assessment and Rating (SCAR) scale at 1 month postoperatively. Results Baseline SAS/SDS scores and GQOLI-74 domain scores showed no intergroup differences (P>0.05). Post-intervention, both groups exhibited reduced anxiety (ΔSAS: -12.3 ±2.1 vs. -8.7±1.8) and depression (ΔSDS: -10.9±1.9 vs. -6.4±1.5), with superior reductions in the observation group (P<0.05). GQOLI-74 scores improved significantly in the observation group across all domains (psychological: 82.4±5.3 vs. 75.1±4.8; social: 79.6±4.7 vs. 71.2±4.1; P<0.05). SCAR scores showed no significant differences between groups (3.07±1.78 vs. 3.23 ±1.64, P>0.05).Fast-absorbing collagen sutures significantly alleviate parental anxiety/depression and improve family quality of life without compromising scar outcomes compared to nylon sutures. The non-removal protocol simplifies postoperative care, highlighting the importance of integrating caregiver psychological well-being into suture material selection.
Keywords: pediatric facial trauma, Fast-absorbing collagen sutures, Parental anxiety, Family quality of life, Scar cosmesis, family-centered care, Postoperative psychological burden
Received: 14 May 2025; Accepted: 24 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Xie, Tan and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jianfei Zhang, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School,University of South China, Hengyang, China
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