Techniques of facial lesion excision and closure

Abstract

The goals of facial lesion excision and closure are to minimize scar formation and to camouflage the unavoidable. The extent and quality of the scar depend upon the patient's age and heredity, the exact location of the lesion, and the degree of inflammation. Of these, only the inflammatory response can be controlled. Scarring may be reduced by keeping inflammation to a minimum through atraumatic tissue handling, absolute hemostasis, suture placement to avoid strangulation, and early removal of skin sutures. When these plastic surgical maxims are followed, and if the incision is placed correctly, the final scar will be nearly invisible.