Double opposing semicircular flap: a modification of opposing Z-plasty for closing circular defects.

Abstract

A new method is presented for the closure of circular skin defects without altering their original shapes and excision of additional healthy skin. The authors hypothesized that two semicircular flaps prepared from opposite sides of a circular defect could close the defect without additional healthy tissue excision from the defect or the raised flaps; this technique was called double opposing semicircular flaps. It was first studied on an animal model followed by application on our patients with satisfactory results. This procedure has been performed with success on various body surfaces for defects of a size range of 2 to 5 cm in diameter. In this article, technical details and four clinical cases are presented.