Dermatologic surgery can be safely performed in an outpatient setting without a significant risk of infection. Certain anatomic sites, such as the ear, as well as size of postoperative defect, are important factors in predicting the risk of postoperative wound infection.

Mohs surgical defects in 26 patients were reconstructed utilizing a purse-string suture and a full-thickness graft. The placement of the purse-string suture decreased the surface area of the wound an average of 53%. A full-thickness graft was then placed in the remaining defect. This technique enabled us to repair large wounds of the facial region with a relatively small full-thickness graft. There were no complications in our series. The resultant areas were cosmetically acceptable and resistant to trauma.

No abstract

Most dermatologic surgery is performed in clinical settings and not in the rigorous sterile environment of a hospital operating room. This prospective study measures the wound infection rate over a 2 1/2 year period for cutaneous surgery performed in a clinical environment. This percent infection rate compares very favorably with that of formal operating room settings.