Excision of skin tumors through T-shaped incision

Han, Sang Hee; Ryu, Hyung Ho; Suh, Man Soo; Lee, Mu Sang

Abstract

Conventional removal of benign skin tumors with transverse or elliptical excision often results in depression, considerable dog ear formation and lengthening of the final scar. The resulting scar is always longer than the maximal diameter of the elevated skin tumor. Curvilinear transverse incision was designs on the center of the skin tumor, then on the center of transverse incision, the vertical limb incision was added to complete T-shaped incision. After local anesthetic solution was infiltrated through the designed lines, the mass was completely removed. To obliterate dead space, the mid point of the incision was approximated with a suture; there remained dog ears on both sides. To remove the dog ears, triangular flaps were advanced anteromedially, excised, and sutured. Resection of the skin tumors through T-shaped incision provides easy dissection, simultaneous dog ear and dead space repair and elimination of depression of the skin lesion site. To predict the length of the vertical limb incision, it was measured intraoperatively, the length of the vertical limb incision was ranged from 30% to 41% of the transverse incision. So, initially the length of the vertical limb incision was safely designed to remove dog ears and depression from one third of the transverse incision.