Two-stage surgery for hidradenitis suppurativa: staged artificial dermis and skin grafting.

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic and often refractory skin disease that can require radical excision of the full layer of fatty tissue under the lesion. Closure using a split-thickness skin graft often results in depression deformity and lack of tissue flexibility. We have developed a two-stage procedure to preserve fatty tissue during radical excision and apply an artificial dermis graft, and we have performed this procedure in 18 patients (33 lesions).

OBJECTIVE: To describe our two-stage procedure and report results of the procedure in our patient series.

METHODS: In the first step, all diseased skin including the superficial subcutaneous fatty tissue is excised; normal deep subcutaneous fatty tissue is preserved. Artificial dermis is then grafted to the preserved fatty tissue. Two weeks later, split-thickness skin grafts are applied to the skin defects. We evaluated graft success, any recurrence, and postoperative appearance in our patients, who were followed up for 8 to 36 months.

RESULTS: All 32 skin grafts were successful. There was only one recurrence, which was treated using reoperation, and postoperative appearances were good.

CONCLUSIONS: Our new procedure incorporating artificial dermis appears to be a good treatment option for advanced hidradenitis suppurativa.