title: [Modified purse string suture to reduce the size of surgical defect].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Skin carcinomas require excision with clear margins. In the head and neck region, these excisions most often result in round or oval defects. Due to the big size of the defect and limited tissue elasticity, it is not always possible to close these defects in the same operation. We describe a technique to minimize the size of the defect.
  
  
  METHODS
  It is an improved purse string suture technique. The purse string suture is realized with a circular continuous intradermal suture and is improved by three or four V-Y sutures, in order to reduce the skin defect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is an easy, fast and effective technique for decreasing the size of the skin defect and for speeding up the healing.
authors.affiliation: IFSTTAR, LBA UMR_T 24, Aix-Marseille université, 13916 Marseille, France; Aix-Marseille université, 13284 Marseille, France. Electronic address: simon.avignon@ap-hm.fr.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avignon
authors.affiliation: IFSTTAR, LBA UMR_T 24, Aix-Marseille université, 13916 Marseille, France; Service de chirurgie maxillo-faciale, hôpital Nord, AP-HM, 13915 Marseille cedex 20, France.
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Foletti
authors.affiliation: IFSTTAR, LBA UMR_T 24, Aix-Marseille université, 13916 Marseille, France; Aix-Marseille université, 13284 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guyot
mesh_terms: D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology*; D062109:Dermatologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D012535:Scalp / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013537:Sutures; D047368:Tumor Burden; D014945:Wound Healing
keywords: Cicatrice; Scar; Suture technique; Suture techniques