title: Modified wound closure technique in periorbital necrotizing fasciitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a modified wound closure technique in cases of necrotizing fasciitis and to describe its efficacy and usefulness.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical characteristics of patients that underwent extensive debridement and modified wound closure were recorded and documented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven patients (5 males, 2 females; mean age = 40.9 years, standard deviation = 25.3 years) underwent debridement and modified wound closure. At discharge from the hospital, 6 patients (84.7%) achieved vision of 20/25 of better, although 1 patient lost all vision in the affected eye. Six patients (84.7%) experienced improvement in their visual acuity between admission to and discharge from the hospital. After a mean follow-up interval of 6.3 months, 5 patients (71.4%) did not require additional reconstructive interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In cases of periorbital necrotizing fasciitis, extensive debridement with a modified wound closure is a technically feasible intervention and produced excellent clinical, functional, and aesthetic results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery, Lions Eye Institute, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Edward J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Wladis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003646:Debridement; D019115:Fasciitis, Necrotizing / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D058106:Wound Closure Techniques; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult