The Application of Infrared Thermography in the Prediction of Skin Healing in Surgery
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Infrared thermography.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Wound Healing, Surgical Wound Infection, Postoperative Complications, Skin Neoplasms. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Belgium
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
The Application of Infrared Thermography in the Prediction of Skin Healing in Surgery THERMS: THermography for Evaluation of Recovery and Monitoring of Surgical Wounds
Overview
This study investigates whether infrared thermography, a harmless and non-invasive thermal camera technique, can help monitor how surgical wounds heal after skin surgery. The goal is to detect wound problems earlier, such as infection or delayed healing, and to support doctors in making timely clinical decisions.
Detailed description
This study evaluates whether infrared thermography, a non-invasive technique that measures skin surface temperature, can help monitor how surgical wounds heal after dermatologic procedures. Surgical wounds may develop complications such as infection, delayed healing, or graft problems, and these issues are often detected only when visible changes appear on the skin. Because temperature changes can occur earlier than visible symptoms, thermal imaging may provide an earlier signal that a wound is not healing normally.
Participants in this study will have thermal images taken at several routine follow-up moments after their skin surgery. The imaging procedure is quick, painless, and does not touch the skin. By comparing temperature patterns over time, the study aims to understand whether specific thermal changes are linked to normal recovery or to early signs of wound problems.
The information gained from this study may help determine if handheld thermal cameras could be used as a supportive tool in clinical practice. Earlier identification of healing problems may allow clinicians to adjust treatment sooner and improve patient outcomes, while also providing a simple, accessible way to document wound progress.
Interventions
- Device Infrared thermography
Participants will undergo non-contact infrared thermography using a handheld thermal imaging device to capture temperature patterns of the surgical wound at predefined postoperative time points. The device is used solely for diagnostic imaging and does not touch the skin or alter wound care. Thermal images are recorded under standardized conditions and analyzed to identify temperature changes that may indicate normal healing or early signs of complications such as infection, delayed healing, or
Primary outcome measures
- Thermal pattern changes associated with normal versus abnormal surgical wound healing [Time frame: Postoperative days 2-4 and day 7 for Mohs surgery; day 7 and day 14 for trunk and extremities; postoperative weeks 1-4 for scalp grafts.]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Overall feasibility and clinical utility of infrared thermography [Time frame: Postoperative days 2-4 and day 7 (Mohs); day 7 and day 14 (trunk/extremities); postoperative weeks 1-4 (scalp).]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Voluntary written informed consent of the participant or their legally authorized representative has been obtained prior to any screening procedures
- Adult subjects (>18 years of age) at time of enrolment
- Patients undergoing a surgical excision under local anesthesia
- Indications of the excisions were skin lesions suspected to be malignant, skin lesions confirmed to be malignant via prior biopsy
Exclusion criteria
- Patient has history of pre-existing diabetes type I and II
- Patients with pre-existing chronic wound problems
- Patients with renal dysfunction,
- Patients with venous insufficiency confirmed via radiographic imaging
- Patients who received radiotherapy in the affected area in the past
- Patients with chronic steroid use in the past (> 3 months) or a immunosuppressant medication history
- Female who is pregnant
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Diagnostic
Study locations
Belgium · 1 center
- UZLeuven, Department of Dermatology — Leuven
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07524062 · S71301 _ CIV-25-12-055874