How to Suture - part 4: the Z plasty

One of your colleagues has made an incision the wrong way on a limb and the patient complains the scar pulls and is wide. What are you going to do? In the fourth and final instalment of probably the most important series of 4 podcasts for any aspiring surgeon to watch, Ben Baker and Jill Arrowsmith take you through how perform a z plasty, probably the simplest but one of the most useful and versatile techniques in plastic surgery, which helps to revise unsightly scars and has many other uses. The indications, contraindications of z plasty are discussed, as well as potential complications. On a cadaveric specimen Jill shows you how to perform a z plasty, which is an essential technique for any medical student or surgeon in training. Made by plastic surgeons, these videos help you to get into good suturing habits from the start, rather than develop or pick up bad habits as you go along. Suture as in these videos and you'll have good technique and nice wounds for the rest of your career. Jill Arrowsmith is a consultant in plastic and hand surgery at the world famous Pulvertaft Hand Centre at the Royal Derby Hospital, UK and Ben Baker is a trainee in plastic surgery.