Surgeons discussed how actively managing incisional tension may help improve healing consistency, reduce complications, and optimize scar quality.
At The Aesthetic MEET, hosted by The Aesthetic Society (ASAPS), board-certified plastic surgeons explored the critical role of tension management in surgical closure, wound healing, and scar quality.Â
The conversation reflected growing momentum behind active tension offloading approaches, including BRIJ Medical’s Brijjit, a force-modulating tissue bridge.
During the meeting, Steven Sigalove, MD, FACS; Holly Wall, MD, FACS; Jason Pozner, MD; and Vinaya Rednam, MD, FACS shared clinical perspectives on how actively managing incisional tension at the time of closure is helping improve healing trajectories, reduce wound complications, and enhance aesthetic outcomes across a range of procedures.
The discussion highlighted active tension offloading as a differentiated category beyond traditional closure support technologies such as tapes, glues, or mesh products that sit passively on the surface of the skin.
According to the panel, active tension offloading is defined by three mechanical principles:
- Input of energy to actively influence tension dynamics at the incision site
- Tissue movement toward the incision, including movement deep into the subcutaneous tissue rather than only at the skin surface
- Force redistribution, which redirects mechanical stress away from the incision to support better healing
The surgeons shared that passive “tension shielding” approaches alone do not address underlying mechanical stress in the same way, and as a result, patients do not heal in the same way.
The panel highlighted growing adoption of active tension offloading as surgeons increasingly seek more advanced approaches to surgical closure that support healing consistency, scar quality, and patient recovery.
Photo caption: Drs Steven Sigalove, Holly Wall, Jason Pozner, and Rukmini (Vinaya) Rednam take the stage at The Aesthetic Meet in Boston to discuss the importance of “active tension offloading.”
Photo credit: BRIJ Medical
