title: Horizontal skin wound closure in full thickness eyelid excision.
abstract: The direct closure of full thickness lid margin defects is well described. The most popular method of closing this defect is to convert it to a pentagon by excising a triangle of skin and muscle below. The resultant scar is perpendicular to relaxed skin tension lines and may be cosmetically obvious. An alternative technique is presented whereby a horizontal subciliary incision is extended either side of the defect. After undermining and minimal excision the skin is closed leaving a horizontal linear subciliary scar, parallel to relaxed skin tension lines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Greenlane Clinical Centre, Greenlane West, Greenlane, Auckland, New Zealand. paul@eyelid.co.nz
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosser
authors.forename: Austin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McCormick
mesh_terms: D019882:Blepharoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000209:etiology; D004954:Esthetics; D005142:Eyelid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005143:Eyelids / Q000473:pathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome