Simple Skin-Stretching Device in Assisted Tension-Free Wound Closure

Background: Numerous conventional wound reconstruction methods, such as wound undermining with direct suture, skin graft, and flap surgery, can be used to treat large wounds. The adequate undermining of the skin flaps of a wound is a commonly used technique for achieving the closure of large tension wounds; however, the use of tension to approximate and suture the skin flaps can cause ischemic marginal necrosis. The purpose of this study is to use elastic rubber bands to relieve the tension of direct wound closure for simultaneously minimizing the risks of wound dehiscence and wound edge ischemia that lead to necrosis. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate our clinical experiences with 22 large wounds, which involved performing primary closures under a considerable amount of tension by using elastic rubber bands in a skin-stretching technique after a wide undermining procedure. Assessment of the results entailed complete wound healing and related complications. Results: All 22 wounds in our study showed fair to good results except for one. The mean success rate was approximately 95.45%. Conclusions: The simple skin-stretching design enabled tension-free skin closure, which pulled the bilateral undermining skin flaps as bilateral fasciocutaneous advancement flaps. The skin-stretching technique was generally successful.