Journal Information
Vol. 108. Issue 7.
Pages 607-608 (September 2017)
Vol. 108. Issue 7.
Pages 607-608 (September 2017)
Commentaries
Full text access
Buried Sutures to Facilitate the Closure of Facial Defects
Facilitando el cierre de defectos faciales con puntos enterrados
Visits
3842
G. Romero
Corresponding author
Gromeroa@gmail.com

Corresponding author.
, P. Cortina
Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital General Universitario de Ciudad Real, Ciudad Real, Spain
This item has received
Article information
Full Text
Bibliography
Download PDF
Statistics
Full Text

Routinely omitting subcutaneous sutures in facial defects is a common error. Closure by tissue planes facilitates remodeling and eliminates superficial tension, preventing necrosis and infections and producing more cosmetically acceptable scars.

Buried sutures running from side to side can be used, mobilizing and completely approximating the 2 skin margins, or suspension sutures that advance only 1 side, which is fixed to the periosteum.1 A variant of the first option is proposed in this issue of Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas,2 mobilizing both margins but without approximating them completely, leaving long, tense sutures called guitar-string sutures. The aim is to approximate the margins, transmitting the tension laterally, eliminating tension from the flap, whose blood supply is always more unreliable. This third option increases versatility.

Suspension sutures enable quality to be maximized in facial remodeling, as they eliminate more than tension. The suspension suture (also known as tacking or fixing stitches)3 is a concept imported from oculoplastic surgery4 and is crucial for obtaining the best results in oncologic dermatologic surgery. Apart from reducing tension, they enable closure to be fixed in the area of union of different cosmetic units, to create folds or avoid their obliteration, to prevent a tenting effect, and to avoid the distortion of orifices (ecnasion, eclabium, ectropion),1 all of which are key points in achieving optimal results.

In summary, the article by Dr. Querol and Dr. Redondo2 is highly recommendable for its originality and relevance, and these 2 classic articles,1,3 which, as good wine, not only do not deteriorate with time, but improve, should also be on everyone's reading list.

References
[1]
J.K. Robinson.
Suspension sutures in facial reconstruction.
Dermatol Surg, 29 (2003),
[2]
Querol E, Redondo P. Suturas en cuerda de guitarra para facilitar el cierre del colgajo digitiforme en la reconstrucción nasal. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2017. doi:10.1016/j.ad.2017.02.004.
[3]
S.J. Salasche, R. Jarchow, B.D. Feldman, M.J. Devine-Rust, J. Adnot.
The suspension suture.
J Dermatol Surg Oncol, 13 (1987), pp. 973-978
[4]
F.M. Rafaty, R.L. Goode, W.E. Fee.
The brow lift operation.
Arch Otolaryngol, 101 (1975), pp. 467-468

Please cite this article as: Romero G, Cortina P. Facilitando el cierre de defectos faciales con puntos enterrados. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2017;108:607–608.

Copyright © 2017. Elsevier España, S.L.U. and AEDV
Idiomas
Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas
Article options
Tools
es en

¿Es usted profesional sanitario apto para prescribir o dispensar medicamentos?

Are you a health professional able to prescribe or dispense drugs?