The effect of Hypericum perforatum on the wound healing and scar of cesarean.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Hypericum perforatum on cesarean wound healing and hypertrophic scar.

DESIGN

This was a randomized, double-blind clinical trial study.

SETTING

The study was conducted in Samen-Ol-Aemmeh (Pbuh) Hospital in Mashhad, Iran.

SUBJECTS

The subjects included 144 women with surgical childbirth who had eligible criteria.

INTERVENTION

The participants were randomly assigned to three groups. The treatment and placebo groups applied H. perforatum or placebo ointment 3 times a day for 16 days based on consecutive coded ointments. The control group remained without any intervention postoperatively.

ASSESSMENT

Wound healing was assessed on the 10th day postcesarean using the REEDA scale (REEDA stands for redness, edema, ecchymosis, discharge, and approximation), which had criteria including redness, edema, ecchymosis, discharge, and approximation. On the 40th day, the degree of scarring was assessed using the Vancouver scar scale including pigmentation, height, pliability, and vascularity. The subjects were also asked some questions about pain by using the Visual Analogue Scale and pruritus of scar.

RESULTS

The mean age of all the study subjects was 23.50 +/- 4.03 and mean parity was 1.23 +/- 0.48. There were significant differences in wound healing on the 10th day (p < 0.005) and scar formation on the 40th day postpartum (p < 0.0001) between treatment group with placebo and control groups. However, the placebo group had no differences in wound healing (p = 0.93) and scar formation (p = 0.11) with the control group. In addition, significantly lower pain and pruritus were reported by the treatment group compared with the placebo and control groups on the 40th day postpartum.

CONCLUSIONS

Topical application of H. perforatum is safe and can facilitate cesarean wound healing and minimize formation of scar and its pain and pruritus.