Surgical Treatment of Chronic Gluteal Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Reused Skin Graft Technique

BACKGROUND: The treatment of chronic lesions in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) remains a challenge for dermatologists. In most cases, wide surgical excision of the affected skin reduces the recurrence rate to a minimum. Split-thickness skin grafts have usually been applied to resurface large postoperative defects. OBJECTIVE. : The aim of this study is to introduce an alternative method of skin grafting, called "reused" or "recycled" skin graft, for the reconstruction of the large skin defect with chronic gluteal HS. METHODS: The study consisted of six patients (two females and four males) with gluteal HS. After a wide en bloc excision, the wound was immediately recovered with meshed-skin graft, made from the resected skin itself. Thus, the sacrifice of the skin donor is spared. The drum dermatome (Padgett-Hood) is suitable to take the split-skin graft from the resected skin of the affected buttock. The thickness of grafts was set between 12/1,000 and 20/1,000 inches, and all grafts were meshed with 1.5 times the expansion. The skin grafts were secured in place on the wound and a tie-over dressing was applied. RESULTS: Postoperative complications were usually minor ones, such as hematoma, discharge, and small areas of graft skin necrosis (less than 1 cm2), although one patient developed a 3 x 4 cm2 graft necrosis and wound infection. The follow-up period after surgery ranged from 8 to 36 months. No patient experienced any functional disabilities or recurrence during follow-up years. CONCLUSION: When the epidermal involvement remains mild to moderate, this reused skin graft technique is an alternative choice to resurface the surgical defect of gluteal HS. It is superior to the conventional procedure, which requires fresh skin donor site.