title: Tissue sparing repair. A new approach to shorten excisional lines.
abstract: Tissue sparing repair uses primary closure to make a circular or irregular defect into a line. The resultant closure ratio is 1.5:1 without a dog-ear defect for circular closures. Irregular defects will have different closure ratios. Two new suture techniques are used: 1) the horizontal oblique dermal suture, which approximates tissue without undermining and with minimal epidermal wound edge tension; and 2) the apex cutaneous suture, which repairs most dog-ear defects with a suture. Tissue sparing repair may be a useful addition to primary wound closure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Oklahoma City Clinic, OK 73104.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000379:methods*; D013536:Suture Techniques