M-PLASTY

Course overview

AN M-PLASTY IS AN EXCISIONAL TECHNIQUE USED TO REMOVE STANDING CUTANEOUS DEFORMITIES, ALSO KNOWN AS DOG EARS, FROM THE END OF A LINEAR REPAIR. DOG EARS ARISE FROM BUNCHING OF TISSUE WHEN OVERLY OBTUSE ANGLES ARE USED IN THE PROCESS OF WOUND CLOSURE. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES FOR THE REMOVAL OF DOG EARS. THE MAIN NON-EXCISIONAL TECHNIQUE INVOLVES DISTRIBUTING THE EXCESS SKIN ON ONE SIDE OF THE INCISION EVENLY RELATIVE TO THE OTHER SIDE BY PLACING SUTURES AT LARGER INTERVALS ON THE LONGER SIDE OF THE INCISION RELATIVE TO THE SHORTER SIDE. THIS APPROACH MAY NOT WORK IN ALL SITUATIONS AND IS DEPENDENT UPON THE AMOUNT OF EXCESS TISSUE AND THE LENGTH OF THE WOUND. THIS CME ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, AND TECHNIQUE INVOLVED IN PERFORMING M-PLASTY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE PRE-OPERATIVE AND POST-OPERATIVE CARE OF PATIENTS UNDERGOING THIS PROCEDURE.