Certain areas of the body warrant specific considerations and specialized discussion, even if some of the techniques discussed in basic and advanced wound closure are employed. Click below to learn more:
Anatomic Regions
Lacerations around the Eye
One of the most intimidating experiences in laceration repair is suturing around the eye. The field you are working on is generally small, the structures are intimidatingly intricate, and you need a steady hand so as not to puncture the globe. And not to mention…by nature of the injury, the patient is watching EXACTLY what…
Nailbed Injuries, Part I
A nailbed laceration caused by a skill saw. The proximal nail fold is avulsed, and the nail is lacerated in several places. One of my colleagues recently saw a pretty bad fingernail injury. A young man got his hand caught in a skill saw while on a construction job. The nail was completely avulsed from…
NailBed Injuries, Part II
A nice looking fingernail is an important cosmetic goal when dealing with traumatic lacerations and crush injuries to the fingertip. But there’s more to these injuries than just cosmetics. An intact fingernail allows us to more finely grasp small objects; it improves tactile sensation; it even helps regulate circulation to the distal fingertip. Think of…
Ear Lacerations, Part I
Traumatic ear lacerations can be intimidating. The multiple cartilaginous folds create shadows and curves that give the ear an aesthetic that can be very hard to re-create, even with small injuries. Adding to this complexity, putting the pieces of an ear laceration together is about more than just making it look pretty. The intricate folds and contours assist in the amplification…
Ear Lacerations, Part II
This teenager was horsing around with buddies. He landed on the side of his face and sliced his ear as shown. The laceration is small, but located in such a way that I knew careful repair would be needed for the best outcome. The following video illustrates the procedure used for repair. Repair procedure, outlined: Make sure…
Lip Lacerations, Part I
We spend all day looking at each other’s lips: listening to the words they form, interpreting the subtle social cues they convey, and sometimes imagining kissing them (when it’s the right person)! Thus, it’s natural that a patient and his/her friends and family will be preoccupied with the cosmetic closure of these wounds. It’s said that even…
Lip Lacerations, Part II
In Part I, we discussed some of the steps in evaluation and preparation of a lip laceration to optimize repair. Here in Part II, we’ll get in to the nitty-gritty of performing a repair. All of the key points in this post are discussed in this 3 minute video, detailing a repair in an ED…
Tongue Lacerations
Tongue lacerations can be tricky business: slimy, squirmy, and exquisitely sensitive…patients typically have a tough time handling these repairs. This post discusses indications for tongue laceration repair, principles of repair, and tips to help your next repair go more smoothly. The accompanying video below describes the essentials of this post, in three minutes. But if…