5 Pearls When Choosing Best Repair Option
Next week, I’ll be at the SDPA Boston conference leading the advanced surgical track session.
I'll be sharing some of my favorite Mohs reconstructions (case studies below) I’ve performed to help you understand the thought process behind each repair and help you choose the best repair option when closing your patients.
When deciding which repair to perform, consider these 5 PEARLS -
- Where is the defect anatomically?
- What size is the defect?
- What kind of laxity does the surrounding skin have from the defect?
- Where are you going to recruit skin from to close the wound?
- What surrounding anatomic structures will be potentially affected by that recruitment?
Then once you figure these out, you’ll decide…what type of closure would be best to perform. Assess if you are going to -
- Close the wound simply (primary closure - intermediate vs complex)
- Need to perform a more intricate repair (flap, graft)?
- Perform no closure at all (second intention)?
The goal is to perform the simplest closure with the best aesthetic outcome.
But if unable to achieve that, then the next step would be to consider the other repair options.
Then lastly, what are you going to prioritize - Aesthetics vs Function?
The rule of thumb is “Function Before Aesthetics”, but if you can achieve both…that is GOLD!
Here are the case studies I will go over in my presentation to help guide you through the repair thought process.
Case Study 1
Case Study 2
Case Study 3
Case Study 4
Thank you, SDPA, for allowing me to use your platform to voice how valuable we are as providers in this area.
If you are attending, I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
All my BEST,
Theresa Talens DNP, FNP-C
P.U.L.S.E. Dermatology & Procedures, Inc.
Where we believe in Precision. Ultimate Care. Leverage. Skills. Excellence.
