Surgical Outcomes of Simple Interrupted Versus Running Epidermal Sutures in Full-thickness Skin Graft Placement

A FTSG is used in lieu of linear repair or local tissue skin flap rearrangement when surrounding skin tissue laxity is unavailable or the patient prefers a graft instead. Typically the skin for a FTSG is harvested from a local or distant donor site depending on skin tissue match and tissue availability and sutured into place. The site where the FTSG was taken is primarily repaired or allowed to heal via second intent. This study is important because it provides a comparison of cosmetic outcome between interrupted versus running cutaneous sutures. The information provided would help determine if a more efficient suturing technique is non-inferior to a less efficient one, thus saving time for the patient and provider. There is no current standard of practice, with dermatologic surgeons using both interrupted and running sutures, as there is a paucity of literature on this topic as related to full thickness grafts after dermatologic surgery. Running epidermal sutures are more time efficient and thus decrease patient intra-operative time, save on suture material, increase surgeon productivity, and may improve the overall patient operative experience. There have been multiple other split scar studies and studies related to the cosmetic outcomes of various suturing practices. However, there have been none that have looked at simple versus running epidermal stitching of FTSG placement.