Background: Secondary intention healing and purse-string closures are simple but extremely useful methods for the dermatologic surgeon to master.
Objective: To review the literature on the use of these two types of closures and offer recommendations based on our collective experiences.
Methods: A literature review was performed using the terms "secondary intention healing" and "purse-string closure." The evidence and recommendations from the resultant references were summarized in our article and synthesized with our own experiences.
Results: Twenty-eight sources were cited overall with fifteen related to secondary intention healing, eleven pertaining to purse-string closures, and one randomized, blind clinical trial comparing the two modalities.
Conclusion: The art of dermatologic surgery often requires a tailored approach to the patient and can involve a spectrum of closures, from the simplest to most complex. This variety not only provides more reconstruction options, but are also necessary to keep dermatologic surgery cost-effective. Certain locations or situations are more amenable for these two types of closures than others. The use of secondary intention healing, either alone or in conjunction with purse-string closures, should be in every dermatologic surgeon's armamentarium.