Dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane allograft for postoperative wounds following Mohs micrographic surgery: a retrospective comparative evaluation.

INTRODUCTION

Defects that remain after MMS cannot always be repaired immediately. When closure is not feasible, wounds are left to heal by secondary intention and may take weeks to close. In such cases, the use of an allograft that stimulates endogenous wound healing pathways may be desirable.

OBJECTIVE

This retrospective study assessed whether the use of dHACM allograft after MMS led to a statistically significant improvement in post-Mohs wound closure rates compared with secondary intention healing.

METHODS

This study evaluated 80 patients who underwent MMS and compared time to complete healing between wounds treated with dHACM allografts (n = 40) and wounds healed by secondary intention (n = 40). Wounds were assessed every 2 weeks, and photographs were taken. Statistical analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

Average time to complete wound healing was significantly reduced with the use of dHACM allograft compared with traditional secondary intention healing (5.2 weeks and 6.5 weeks, respectively; P = .01).

CONCLUSION

The use of dHACM allograft resulted in more rapid wound healing, and this allograft is a potential alternative to traditional secondary intention healing methods. Further studies are needed to reinforce the results of this pilot study.