Botulinum Toxin Type A for Postoperative Scar Prevention: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Clicks: 1
ID: 329451
2026
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This
article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score —
reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
Reader Engagement
0.0
/100
1 views
0 readers
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Ranked #92 of 93 articles by views in Aesthetic surgery journal
Most read
Least read
Bar heights use a square-root scale.
Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet mintedCreate a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.
5
SUSD
one-off · no wallet required
Abstract
Postoperative scars may impair quality of life. Prophylactic botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) may reduce scarring, but optimal timing, dose density, injection plane, and anatomic indications remain uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated prophylactic BoNT-A for postoperative scar prevention and examined effect modification by timing, dose density, and anatomic site; injection-plane practices were summarized descriptively. Four databases were searched through January 2026 for comparative trials of perioperative or postoperative BoNT-A administration. Random-effects meta-analysis used standardized mean differences (SMDs); subgroup analyses and meta-regression examined timing, dose density, and anatomic site. Seventeen studies (656 treatment sites; 456 participants) were included. BoNT-A improved clinician composite scores (SMD, -0.864; 95% CI, -1.137 to -0.591; low certainty), clinician VAS (SMD, -0.951; 95% CI, -1.468 to -0.434; very low certainty), and objective scar width (SMD, -0.924; 95% CI, -1.119 to -0.728; moderate certainty). Exploratory pooled analyses using the original study-level timing assignments suggested a larger effect with delayed injection (SMD, -1.240; moderate certainty) than with immediate injection (SMD, -0.559; low certainty). Timing and anatomic site jointly accounted for 81% of heterogeneity (P = .0008), with effects largest in chest and smallest in fine facial sites. Moderate-certainty evidence supports reduced objective scar width; clinician composite scales improved with low certainty. Pooled clinician-composite analyses suggested larger effects with delayed injection, although direct within-site timing studies have reported conflicting findings. Immediate-injection evidence and patient-reported outcomes remain uncertain, and cross-study dose escalation within 4-10 U/cm was not associated with additional benefit.
| Reference Key |
openalex_W7214006917
Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using
SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
|
|---|---|
| Authors | Yi‐Hsin Ho, Te-Wei Chang, Chun-Wei Hsu, Yi-Yun Ho, Chih-Chiang Chen, Ching‐Po Lin |
| Journal | Aesthetic surgery journal |
| Year | 2026 |
| DOI |
10.1093/asj/sjag204
|
| URL | |
| Keywords | Keywords not found |
Citations
No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.