Use of tissue meshing technique to facilitate side to side closure of large defects

BACKGROUND. Primary closure of a large mound usually needs flaps of sophist icated design or skill grafts, both require more skill and wound care. Motl ey and Holt first reported the use of meshed advancement flap, a relative s imple technique to close large defects of file lower leg in five patients. OBJECTIVE. To report the use of tissue meshing technique to close large wou nds with significant tension on various sites of the body. METHODS. Six patients with large benign or malignant neoplasms at various s ites of the body were included. Tissue meshing technique was used to facili tate wound closure after elliptical excision of the tumors at office visits . RESULTS. The wound defects, ranging from 3.0-3.5 cm in width, were closed w ith satisfactory cosmetic results, except for the occurrence of transient s mall hypertrophic scars in one patient. There was no complication of wound dehiscence, ischemia, infection or hematoma. CONCLUSION. Tissue meshing technique is a simple procedure and appears to b e a satisfactory alternative to facilitate the closure of large wounds unde r tension. This technique is suitable for most body sites excluding central face and neck because there may be a stippled appearance in the area of me shing. (C) 1998 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc.