Topical Zinc May Augment Post-Operative Wound Healing, Including Following Mohs Micrographic Surgery: A Review of the Literature

Nicole Levin, Taylor Gray, Maheera Farsi, David Dorton, Richard Miller
2020 SKIN The Journal of Cutaneous Medicine  
Zinc, an essential mineral, has been extensively studied in the field of dermatology for the treatment of a plethora of skin conditions. However, minimal literature exists regarding its use for the enhanced healing of wounds after surgery, including following Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS).Objective: Evaluate the available literature regarding the utilization of zinc for enhanced healing of post-surgical wounds in humans.Methods: A systematic review of studies evaluating the use of zinc for
more » ... t-surgical management was conducted via an electronic literature search of the PubMed database. Clinical trials were searched using ClinicalTrails.gov.Results: Topical zinc formulations may decrease healing time and post-operative infection rates, including following MMS of the lower extremity.Limitations: Currently, there are a limited number of studies available on this topic, with lack of a standard comparable outcome measure.Conclusion: Topical zinc oxide may be a beneficial treatment option for post-surgical wound healing, including after MMS. Further studies are needed to better define the efficacy of zinc for post-operative wound healing and the optimal treatment regimen.
doi:10.25251/skin.4.5.1 fatcat:c7x24guh6jcfvavkpi75xlvelu