Reinforcement of sutures to close surgical incisions in frail skin

Adequate surgical incision closure protects against infection and helps produce satisfactory scars. This can be challenging with frail, ‘paper-thin’ older skin, unable to hold a subcuticular or skin suture without cutting out.

Using adhesive strips perpendicularly across a traumatic wound prior to suturing has been described previously.¹ Our alternative technique places 1/8” SteriStrips™ (3M Corporation, St Paul, MN, USA) longitudinally along elective incision margins, parallel to the line of incision, reinforcing the skin before suturing. A heavy nylon suture is then placed through this strip-augmented skin, permitting satisfactory closure (Fig 1). SteriStrips and suture are removed at 14 days, the adhesive having loosened enough to avoid skin damage.

Figure 1.

SteriStrip™ sutured wound.