Measuring Postoperative SCAR Quality

The Scar Cosmesis Assessment and Rating (SCAR) scale was developed and validated as a tool to assess the quality of postoperative scars in clinical and research settings. The SCAR scale measures postoperative scar cosmesis, with scores ranging from 0 (best possible scar) to 15 (worst possible scar), based on two clinician and two patient items. It was first developed based on a study of 80 patients, with ages ranging from 18 to 96 years, and Fitzpatrick skin type I through VI. It demonstrates a high degree of interrater reliability, intrarater reliability, and near equivalence when used on live patients or photographs. The SCAR scale is a reliable rating scale for postoperative linear scars, and photographs may reliably be used in lieu of live patient assessments; it therefore represents a reliable standard rating scale for postoperative scar cosmesis.