[A new technic of cutaneous suture. The SAFE technic (Suture, Assisted by adhesive Film, for Esthetic results)]

A new cutaneous suture technique is described. It is designed for tegumental closing of rectilinear incisions in nonseptic surgery. The technique involves intradermal overcasting with monofilament non-resorbable suture covered with a double adhesive film which reduces strain and provides a therapeutic pressure; after ablation of the first film, it is replaced with adhesive films continuously for 2 months. This technique provides the following advantages: rapidity of suture, simplification of postoperative care, improvement in patient comfort, major reduction in duration of the inflammatory cicatricial period, improvement in final aesthetic results, spectacular in the case of zones under high mechanical tension (arms and legs, scapular belt, etc.), reduction in total cost: suture + postoperative dressing. This technique has been studied for 1 1/2 years in more than 400 patients undergoing various procedures, both for immediate suture and for resuture of the trunk and extremities; postoperative cicatrization appears to be optimal from the standpoints of both the surgeon and the patient, and in our experience, there have been only two minor allergic reactions which did not compromise normal cicatrization. This technique is presented in detail, with a summary of indications and results.