Comparative study of optimal compression pressure between conventional Barton's dressing and prefabricate garment in parotidectomy patients

Abstract

Excessive compression after parotidectomy can lead to flap necrosis, while inadequate pressure can cause fluid accumulation. This study aimed to determine the optimal pressure and compression properties of different types of dressings. Initially, pressure measurements were taken for conventional Barton's dressing and a pre-fabricated facial garment. In the subsequent phase, patients were randomly assigned to receive one of three types of pressure dressings: conforming bandage Barton's dressing, elastic bandage Barton's dressing or pre-fabricated facial garment. The dressing types were randomly crossed over the following day. The mean pressure exerted by conventional Barton's dressing and the pre-fabricated facial garment was 15.86 and 14.81 mmHg, respectively. There was no significant difference in the proportion of optimal pressure among the three types of pressure dressing (p-values of 0.195, 0.555 and 0.089 at pre-auricular, angle of mandible and post-auricular sites, respectively). The pre-auricular area demonstrated the highest proportion of optimal pressure, while suboptimal pressure was noted at the angle of the mandible and post-auricular area. Dressing types had no effect on pressure stability (p = 0.37), and there was no significant difference in patient preference (p = 0.91). Conforming bandage Barton's dressing, elastic bandage Barton's dressing and pre-fabricated facial garment exhibit comparable compressive properties, with no significant difference in patient preference and pressure stability.