The Application of Infrared Thermography in the Prediction of Skin Healing in Surgery

NCT07524062 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: S71301 _ CIV-25-12-055874
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Wound Healing; Surgical Wound Infection; Postoperative Complications; Skin Neoplasms; Skin Transplantation

Keywords

Infrared thermography; Surgical wound healing; Dermatosurgery; Thermal imaging; Wound complications

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Thermal pattern changes associated with normal versus abnormal surgical wound healing

  Changes in wound temperature patterns detected through infrared thermography will be evaluated to determine whether they correspond to normal healing or early signs of complications such as infection, delayed healing, or graft problems. Thermal images will be analyzed for differences in temperature distribution, symmetry, and progression over time.

  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 Outcomes (1)

• Overall feasibility and clinical utility of infrared thermography

  Postoperative days 2-4 and day 7 (Mohs); day 7 and day 14 (trunk/extremities); postoperative weeks 1-4 (scalp).

Study Arms (1)

Thermography Monitoring Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this arm will undergo infrared thermography using the FLIR ONE PRO device at predefined postoperative time points. Thermal images of the surgical wound are captured without touching the skin. The temperature patterns are analyzed to monitor wound healing and to identify early signs of complications such as infection, delayed healing, or graft problems.

Device: Infrared thermography

Interventions

Infrared thermography DEVICE

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 graft failure. This intervention differs from standard clinical follow-up because it adds objective thermal measurements that are not part of routine postoperative assessment.

Thermography Monitoring Arm

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• 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

You may not qualify if:

• 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

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven: lead

Study Sites (1)

UZLeuven, Department of Dermatology

Leuven, Vlaams Brabant, 3000, Belgium

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Surgical Wound Infection; Postoperative Complications; Skin Neoplasms

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Wound Infection; Infections; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Neoplasms by Site; Neoplasms; Skin Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Study Officials

• Annemiek Leeman, Prof. Dr.

  UZLeuven, Department of Dermatology

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Annemiek Leeman, Prof. Dr.

CONTACT

0032 016 33 79 50; annemiek.leeman@uzleuven.be

Sofie Van Kelst, BSc

CONTACT

0032 016 33 78 64; sofie.vankelst@kuleuven.be

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: DIAGNOSTIC
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 1, 2026
• First Posted: April 13, 2026
• Study Start: June 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2028
• Last Updated: June 18, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

BE (1)